17/10/2026
What’s actually in the air when calima reaches the Canary Islands?
AirCanLab researchers analysed airborne particles collected between 2024 and 2026. Saharan dust caused the biggest spikes in particle concentrations, but the study also identified industrial pollution arriving from Morocco and Algeria.
During one episode on 31 March 2026, readings in southern Tenerife and La Gomera reached 996 micrograms per cubic metre.
The findings help distinguish desert dust from traffic emissions, sea salt and pollution carried from elsewhere.