https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/376 Sun, 02 Aug 2026 19:14:44 GMT 2026-08-02T19:14:44Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148116 Title: Rising dust pollution across Europe in a changing climate Authors: Vasilakos, Petros N.; Upadhyay, Abhishek; Manousakas, Manousos I.; Alastuey, Andrés; Allan, James D.; Alves, Célia A.; Bergmans, Benjamin; Brem, Benjamin T.; Castillo, Sonia; Christoudias, Theodoros; Colombi, Cristina; Conil, Sébastien; Dzepina, Katja; Eichler, Anja; Eleftheriadis, Konstantinos; Favez, Olivier; Flynn, Michael; Glojek, Kristina; Grange, Stuart K.; Green, David C.; Hueglin, Christoph; Jaffrezo, Jean-Luc; Jenk, Theo M.; Jiang, Jianhui; Krymova, Ekaterina; Lucarelli, Franco; Makorič, Petra; Massabò, Dario; Mihalopoulos, Nikolaos; Močnik, Griša; Modini, Robin L.; Mohr, Claudia; Naccarato, Attilio; Pokorná, Petra; Prati, Paolo; Probst-Hensch, Nicole; Prévôt, André S.H.; Querol, Xavier; Reche, Cristina; de la Rosa, Jesús D.; Scerri, Mark M.; Sciare, Jean; Sigl, Michael; Tremper, Anja H.; Traversi, Rita; Trejo Banos, Daniel; Tsagkaraki, Maria; Uzu, Gaëlle; Vecchi, Roberta; Via, Marta; de Hoogh, Kees; El-Haddad, Imad; Daellenbach, Kaspar R. Abstract: Mineral desert dust is a major contributor to total atmospheric particulate matter. Desert dust outbreaks degrade air quality and can pose adverse health effects, including asthma exacerbation and increased mortality. At some European locations, there has been a rise in the intensity and frequency of transported dust outbreaks from deserts in recent decades5–9. However, it remains unclear whether this increase is consistent across Europe and whether desertification and aridity or shifts in atmospheric circulation are the main drivers behind this rise. Here we compile a database of daily dust metal concentrations from European sites, establishing robust elemental ratios for transported dust. Using this database, we develop a machine learning model to estimate daily PM10 (particulate matter smaller than 10 μm) dust concentrations from 2012 to 2021, ranging from 2.09 ± 1.05 μg m−3 across northern and central Europe to 5.28 ± 2.65 μg m−3 across the south. In southern Europe, residents are exposed to transported dust events averaging 9.68 ± 4.85 μg m−3, linked to a 0.67 ± 0.02% rise in daily mortality. Intensified dust intrusions over the past decade are linked to shifts in atmospheric circulation. Data from an Alpine ice core record shows a 110% increase in dust concentrations since pre-industrial times, mostly associated with North African desertification. As climate change accelerates land degradation and affects weather patterns, worsening dust pollution may pose increasing risks to public health and air quality goals. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148116 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147979 Title: From sky to shelter : transforming cultural heritage preservation through space data and stakeholder collaboration on Malta’s historic roofs Authors: Galdies, Charles; Cassar, JoAnn; Muscat Azzopardi, Elizabeth Abstract: Set within the rich fabric of Malta’s architectural heritage, traditional roofs do more than carry the marks of time but also reflect the cultural and everyday lives of past generations. This paper emerges as a synthesis of a learned discussion held during a two-day technical stakeholder engagement workshop convened to dissect the multifaceted aspects of recent studies, linked to the conservation of Maltese traditional flat roofs. This event was based on landmark research in Malta which, through the lens of both conventional measurements and state-of-the-art remote sensing methodologies, as well as theoretical underpinning, aspires to expose new possibilities on the interdependent connection between architectural heritage, local building materials, and modern scientific investigation. This paper highlights how traditional research boundaries regarding the identification, monitoring and preservation of Malta’s traditional roofs, mainly to understand their behaviour, can be overcome. Across the stakeholder reflections captured at this workshop, the strongest shared message was that Malta should now decisively embed the current conversation on the preservation of heritage within the general discourse of roof performance and its mechanisms, and behaviour in a changing climate, as, using co-temporal satellite-UAV-in situ evidence, we can now explain thermal evaporative behaviour credibly and in a way that can stand up to modern membrane-based narratives. At the same time, stakeholders wished this proof of concept to be made actionable by closing the practical gaps, translating the results into guidance, capacity building, and policy-relevant uptake. At its core is the necessity for improved multidisciplinary cooperation between remote sensing and data merging specialists, researchers, architects and heritage professionals, fostering a mutual partnership to carefully gather and utilise information for the preservation and valorisation of traditional historic roofs for future generations and to exploit their characteristics even possibly for new build. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147979 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/145170 Title: Atmospheric deposition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in southwestern German soils : sources, cancer risks and policy implications Authors: Scerri, Mark M.; Haas, Kristin; Gauci, Adam; Schiedek, Thomas Abstract: Background: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) comprise a group of persistent carcinogenic pollutants whose transfer from air to soil via the atmospheric deposition represents a major chronic exposure pathway. Regulatory frameworks across Europe and beyond rely heavily on single compound indicators such as benzo[a]pyrene and focus predominantly on point source contamination, creating potential blind spots for contamination by deposition. This observational study quantified concentrations, identified emission sources and assessed the lifetime cancer risk of 20 PAHs in 97 topsoil samples from four locations in southwestern Germany. Results: The total concentrations of the 16 USEPA priority pollutants ranged from 52 to 3956 μg/kg, with median values between 214 μg/kg (Hunsrück) and 371 μg/kg (Saarland/Palatinate Forest). Most sites (76%) were classified as “not” or “weakly” contaminated, while 12% were “heavily contaminated”. PMF identified four major sources accounting for 97% of the total PAH mass: coal/coke combustion (34.5%), biomass combustion (9.8%), petrogenic sources (15.8%) and combustion of liquid fuels from vehicles and stationary sources (37.0%). A Monte Carlo based cancer risk assessment for ingestion, dermal contact, and inhalation indicated cumulative risks between 10-4 – 10-6, with ingestion and dermal contact as the dominant pathways. Localized hotspots with elevated risks were identified, indicating the need for site specific follow up. Conclusions: Liquid fuel combustion represents the dominant process influencing soil contamination by atmospherically deposited polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the study area. While measured concentrations at most sites remain within current regulatory limits, the cumulative toxicity of PAH mixtures results in cancer risks that are not negligible. These findings point to a structural limitation in existing EU and national soil protection frameworks (e.g., the German BBodSchG/BBodSchV), which remain primarily oriented toward contamination from identifiable point sources and do not adequately account for diffuse deposition-driven inputs. Consequently, soils affected by atmospheric PAH deposition may fall outside current regulatory attention despite carrying a cumulative toxic burden of potential relevance for human health. Strengthening soil quality assessment approaches to incorporate cumulative toxicity metrics and deposition-driven contamination pathways would improve health protection and better align soil policy with contemporary emission patterns. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/145170 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/140786 Title: Vegetation, climate and habitability in the Marseille Basin (SE France) circa 1 Ma Authors: Andrieu, Valérie; Rochette, Pierre; Fournier, François; Demory, François; Robles, Mary; Peyron, Odile; Fauquette, Séverine; Charrat, Eliane; Magniez, Pierre; Gambin, Belinda; De Coignac, Samuel Benoît Abstract: The environment of the Marseille basin in the Early Pleistocene was reconstructed through a multiproxy study of fluvial tufa deposits. Palaeomagnetic measurements revealed the Jaramillo subchron and dated the tufa to within the 0.8–1.5 Ma interval, probably between 0.9 and1.2 Ma. Sedimentological studies show varied depositional environments comprising natural dams formed by accumulations of plants promoting the development of upstream water bodies. The very negative δ 13C values indicate that the Marseille tufa is not travertine sensu stricto but tufa deposited by local cold-water rivers. Palynological analyses indicate a semi-forested, diverse, mosaic vegetation landscape dominated by a Mediterranean pine and oak forest. Along the streams, the riparian forest was diverse and included Juglans, Castanea, Platanus and Vitis. The potential diet reconstructed from pollen was varied. The most surprising discovery was the presence of proto-cereals, which could potentially enrich the diet with carbohydrates. The identification of spores of coprophilous fungi seems to indicate the presence in situ of large herbivore herds. It is possible that, as in Anatolia, the disturbance of ecosystems by large herbivores was responsible for the genetic mutation of Poaceae and the appearance of proto-cereals. Climatic reconstructions indicate a slightly cooler and wetter climate than the present. Mon, 01 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/140786 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z