(Bloomberg) -- Senegal’s capital shot to the top of an index that measures how poor air quality is in major cities after a cloud of dust brought by winds from the Sahara Desert engulfed the country’s north.
A gauge compiled by IQAir scored Dakar at 392 on Wednesday, displacing mega cities such as New Delhi and Dhaka in the Switzerland-based platform’s ranking of metropolises with the worst air quality that day. A level below 101 is considered acceptable, while those above 300 are regarded as hazardous.
Dust cloaked the city this week, restricting visibility, choking its inhabitants and discouraging its sizable fishing community from venturing out to sea, disrupting an essential source of income for many families along the coast.
“A dust episode” descending on northern Senegal will affect the entire country this week, worsening before it settles over the weekend, said Abdoulaye Diouf, a forecasting engineer with the National Agency for Civil Aviation’s weather service.
Air quality in Dakar ranks as “very bad,” with the concentration of particles in the outdoor air exceeding 1,000 micrograms per cubic meter, Diouf said. That’s double the average value, which already far exceeds the World Health Organization’s recommendation of 45 micrograms.
“From Thursday, visibility in Dakar will be 500 meters (1,640 feet) or less,” Diouf said.
Every year, dry, dusty winds from the Sahara blow in over West Africa and the Gulf of Guinea. Known as the Harmattan, the annual phenomenon runs from late November through March.
The dust can linger for days or weeks, depending on the dryness, speed and turbulence in the air. It triggers asthma attacks and worsens other respiratory conditions such as coughing and sneezing.
“It’s a real concern, especially when it comes to respiratory diseases such as asthma and bronchitis, and among children who are often more fragile,” said Oumar Ba, a doctor at the pulmonology department at the Yoff General Hospital in Dakar.
Lung Conditions
About 10% of the population has a lung condition, a number that’s likely much higher in Dakar, Ba said. A growing number of children in the capital are suffering from asthma, a sign that air quality in the city is worsening.
The country’s health authorities on Wednesday urged people to avoid outside sporting activities and recommended that children, the elderly and those suffering from respiratory problems remain indoors and consider wearing masks.
In a city where outdoor exercise is a way of life, the advice limits people’s movements, said Mamadou Diop, an eight-time Senegalese triathlon champion.
“Pushing your body outdoors in this weather isn’t really an option,” he said.
The throngs of fitness enthusiasts that crowd the capital’s beaches in the morning and late afternoon were clearly absent.
Diop moved all rooftop classes at the gym he runs in Dakar’s Yoff neighborhood indoors on Wednesday until the dust settles.
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The dust also limited fishing activity in Dakar’s shores, with only a few fishermen lingering next to their boats at the Soumbedioune beach on Wednesday.
“Those with a GPS will venture out while the others will stay onshore,” said Issa Fall, the Soumbedioune fishing association’s coordinator.
For the fishermen that live from hand to mouth, just one day off the water is a concern, said Omar Drame, secretary general of a fishermen’s union in Dakar.
“The risk to run aground or collide with other boats increases, not to mention the impact on the fishermen’s health,” Drame said. “But there’s not much we can do to stop anyone who wants to try their luck.”
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