Increased mineral dust aerosol concentrations at near-surface level may negatively impact on human well-being. The DUSTRISK project funded by the Leibniz Association is dedicated to investigate the health risks associated with increased dust aerosol concentrations at Cape Verde, which is located in the dust outflow region of the Saharan desert. In the framework of the interdisciplinary research consortium, the Working Group works on the representation of the mineralogical composition of dust aerosol particle in the atmosphere-aerosol model system COSMO-MUSCAT. The particle composition determines the particles’ optical properties, which are here used to investigate the dust’s signature in lidar profiles.

Involved Organisations:

• Leibniz-Institut für Troposphärenforschung
• Forschungszentrum Borstel – Leibniz Lungenzentrum
• Leibniz-Institut DSMZ – Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen
• Leibniz-Institut für umweltmedizinische Forschung