Date and Time: February 12th, 2026 at 10:00 am (CET)
Saharan aeolian dust represents the largest natural source of mineral dust aerosols in the atmosphere that is long-range transported by trade winds across Africa, Europe and the Americas. While its role in aerosol transport and climate is increasingly well understood, questions still remain on how dust composition evolves after emission and modifies particulate matter chemistry, and what this means for air quality and potential health effects. These processes involve complex atmospheric transformations that require integrated, cross-disciplinary investigation. This talk presents insights from studies conducted in Cabo Verde, a key receptor region for Saharan dust outflow over the tropical Atlantic, where we use a combination of PM chemical characterization, air-quality observations, and toxicological indicators, to explore how Saharan dust modifies aerosol properties and contributes as a chemically active atmospheric component to exposure-relevant air quality conditions.