Saharan Dust Cloud - March 2022

The large Saharan dust cloud that blanketed Europe back in March 2022 contained some unexpected ingredients, according to a new study: chemical signatures consistent with US and USSR nuclear tests of the 1950s and 1960s. Led by a team from Paris-Saclay University in France, the study researchers found the radioactivity to be well below levels that would be considered hazardous – less than two-hundredths of the safety thresholds – but it’s a reminder of how long nuclear fallout can persist in the environment.