On the evening of November 4, an unusual dusty fog fell in Tashkent. According to Uzhydromet, in the last 150 years, such dust has not been observed in the air for several days, and this is completely unexpected.
Erkin Abdulakhatov, a specialist at the Hydrometeorological Service, told Kun.uz that there are still small amounts of dust in Tashkent’s air. These substances can be harmful to people with lung-related disease.
What is the state of the atmosphere at the moment?
When the finely dispersed dust particles present in the air as of November 10 were studied, it was found that they did not have a serious impact on the health of a healthy person. At present, the amount of dust in the air of Tashkent is less than 160 micrograms (mcg) per cubic meter of air. That is 90-100 mcg/m³. This does not mean high risk.
Finely dispersed particles in air come in two different sizes. Dust particles smaller than 2.5 and 10 microns. For example, 2.5 micron particles of 30 mkg/m³ per cubic meter of air is the hygienic norm. A 2.5 micron particle is 40 times smaller than a hair fiber. They also enter through masks or other folk remedies (gauze or other fabrics) and can reach the lungs. Therefore, if patients with allergic bronchitis and lung disease breathe in the current air, dust particles can have a pathogenic effect,” the expert said.
Uzbekistan’s climate is drying up
According to Erkin Abdulakhatov, studies show that over the past 10 years, Uzbekistan’s climate has changed dramatically. The country used to have an average of 80 days of cold weather during the year, but now this figure has halved to 35-40 days on average.
Cold currents, which moderate the weather a bit during the summer months, have not entered the republic at all in recent years. This enhances drying in air and soil. This means that global climate change is having a serious impact on our region.
“There is less snow in the winter in the country, and the summer is getting hotter. All this is due to the impact of global climate change on our country,” Erkin Abdulakhatov said.
Previously, there was a lot of rainfall in the fall. In the desert and pasture regions of Uzbekistan, good rainfall, moist and moist soil prevented the rise of dust. However, the worsening situation at the same time worries experts in the field.
