Satellite images VIIRS compared to PM10 during desert dust events in Amazonian basin

International audience Every year desert dust particles coming from Africa is transported over the Atlantic Ocean in a westward flux. Desert dust is the major air pollutant affecting human health in the Amazonian basin. The transport of particles originated from Sahelian area, lead to high mass concentrations of particle matter with diameter less than 10 µm (PM10). Using statistical analyses of air quality network data, performed with air quality instruments and AOD values from VIIRS images, we calculated the correlation coefficient. For this, according to WHO recommendations for population health, we have chosen a threshold of 50 µg m-3. In fact, values greater than 50 µg.m-3 are harmful to populations. First, all satellite images have to be taken at the same day than PM10 data. We compared the mean AOD for a small area focused on Cayenne urban zone and daily mean PM10 measured for the town at the same time. These comparisons were also made for Kourou and Matoury urban zones. We observed a correlation around 0.7 for the intense dust events but not for the weak ones. These results can allow the implementation of an air pollution warning for other cities of French Guiana in absence of ground measurements such as Saint-Georges de lOyapock. By extension, this dust warning can be done for close neighbours of French Guiana (Surinam and Brazil) to protect public health during these Saharan dust season. This research program is supported by the Observatoire Homme Milieu Oyapock through Labex DRIIHM funding and cross-border cooperation program PROGYSAT.