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Earth's Atmosphere Is Losing Dust — a Mixed Blessing for Health and Ecosystems
Key Takeaways
- Atmospheric dust levels have declined, which benefits human respiratory health by reducing particulate matter exposure.
- The same decline harms ecosystems that depend on wind-borne nutrients, particularly the Amazon and iron-limited ocean regions.
- Saharan dust delivers phosphorus to the Amazon, offsetting nutrient losses from heavy rainfall and leaching.
- Dust is a key natural source of iron for ocean phytoplankton, which underpin marine food webs and carbon drawdown.
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DT Editorial Team··via newscientist.com