Phoenix Hit by a Massive Dust Storm, or Haboob: Dust Storms = Natural Particulate Pollution

     It is well known that dust storms, also known as haboobs, can be a very significant form of air pollution, especially where they are common and long-lasting. Luckily, the recent haboob in Arizona, seen in the pics below engulfing the metro-Phoenix area, only lasted about 15 minutes. Even so, it deposited dust in many places where it is not wanted and can cause problems.   

     Wind-blown dust from dry and desert regions can be a significant source of air pollution, particulate pollution that can cause respiratory and other health issues.

     As can be seen below, on Monday, August 25, 2025, a wall of dust invaded metro Phoenix, blinding drivers, knocking out power, and grounding flights. Haboobs are pushed by the wind ahead of a weather front or thunderstorm and typically occur in flat, arid areas. This is Phoenix’s monsoon season, and it has been dry ahead of it, so more dust is available for transport. The dust storm was accompanied by strong winds that knocked down some trees, leading to power outages. Frankly, I would not want to see this natural phenomenon headed towards me, oddly beautiful as it may be.

     According to Daniel Valero’s Fundamentals of Air Pollution:

“Dust storms that entrain large amounts of particulate matter are a common natural source of air pollution in many parts of the world. Even a relatively small dust storm can result in suspended particulate matter readings one or two orders of magnitude above ambient air quality standards. Visibility reduction during major dust storms is frequently the cause of severe highway accidents and can even affect air travel. The particulate matter transferred by dust storms from the desert to urban areas causes problems to householders, industry, and automobiles. The materials removed by the air cleaner of an automobile are primarily natural pollutants such as road dust and similar entrained material.”

     It is not uncommon for dust clouds from the Gobi and Sahara deserts to travel far and cause temporary air quality issues far from where they originate. For example, dust from the Sahara Desert in North Africa commonly reaches the Caribbean and sometimes the Southeastern U.S., as happened earlier this summer. These dust clouds are detected and tracked by satellites. Wind-blown mineral dust also performs some important ecosystem service functions by helping to make soils more fertile where those particles land. They carry minerals like iron and phosphorus that act as nutrients for plants and also help fertilize phytoplankton in the ocean.

     According to Andrei Ionescu at Earth.com:

“After spending hours or days in the atmosphere, the mineral grains acquire thin coatings rich in water and nitrate.”

“The coatings dissolve trace gases, drive rapid chemical reactions, and manufacture what scientists call secondary organic aerosols, or SOA – tiny carbon-containing particles that damage lungs, darken skies, and alter Earth’s heat balance.”

     In the global ‘dust belt’ from the Sahara and Middle East to China, the modeling suggests that “aqSOA (aqueous-phase secondary organic aerosol) on dust can account for up to two-thirds of all secondary organic aerosols during storm conditions.”

     Research from 2018 has confirmed that dust particles also carry microbes, including bacteria and fungi that can cause allergies.

   

 

 

References:

 

Towering wall of dust rolls through metro Phoenix, leaving thousands without power. ROss Franklio and Hallie Golden. Associated Press. August 25, 2025. Towering wall of dust rolls through metro Phoenix, leaving thousands without power

Dust storms are a surprising source of deadly air pollution. Andrei Ionescu. Earth.com. June 9, 2025. Dust storms are a surprising source of deadly air pollution - Earth.com

Fundamentals of Air Pollution. Daniel Valero. Fifth Edition. Academic Press. 2014.

Satellites capture an incredibly massive Saharan dust storm crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Sanjana Gajbhiye. Earth.com. June 8, 2025. Incredibly massive Saharan dust storm seen crossing the Atlantic - Earth.com

Sahara desert dust storms carry harmful bacteria and fungi around the globe. Sanjana Gajbhiye. Earth.com. March 27, 2024. Sahara desert dust storms carry harmful bacteria and fungi globally - Earth.com