Measurement and Evaluation of Dust Concentrations in the Air After the Kahramanmaraş Earthquake in Turkey

Our plain-English summary of Measurement and Evaluation of Dust Concentrations in the Air After the Kahramanmaraş Earthquake in Turkey, by T. Oral, M. Ensari Özay, R. Uçan, et al (International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2025).

The study

• Authors: T. Oral, M. Ensari Özay, R. Uçan, D. Aker, E. Can, B. Altınten
• Journal: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Published: 2025;22(4)
• Cited by: 6 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

The 6 February 2023 earthquake in Kahramanmaraş, Turkey, caused significant debris accumulation, raising concerns about air quality and public health. This study assessed dust concentrations during debris removal and emergency response efforts over a five-day period. Post-disaster respirable and total dust concentrations were measured using dust monitoring devices and the MDHS-14/3 gravimetric method. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analyses identified fibrous structures and elements associated with asbestos, suggesting potential long-term health risks such as asbestosis and lung cancer. The average respirable dust concentration was 30.84 mg/m3, and the total dust concentration was 33.66 mg/m3. The findings emphasize the urgent need for protective measures to mitigate exposure risks for affected populations and emergency responders. Integrating health risk assessments into disaster management strategies are crucial to reducing long-term public health impacts.

In plain English

This field study measured airborne dust in Hatay province, Turkey, from 17 to 21 February 2023, after the Kahramanmaraş earthquake, during search, rescue and debris removal. Search and rescue workers wore personal dust samplers for 1 to 3 hours. When that was not possible, research team members wore them. The filters were weighed in a laboratory. The authors reported that respirable dust ranged from 1.24 to 97.81 mg/m3, averaging 30.84 mg/m3, though the readings in the article's own table do not clearly match these figures. Total dust ranged from 25.48 to 43.84 mg/m3, with an average of 33.66 mg/m3. The authors reported that these averages exceeded Turkish and international limits and that levels rose closer to the dust source. Electron microscopy of about 20 samples focused on two, which showed fiber-like particles of 20 to 40 micrometres. The authors described these as suggesting asbestos-like structures. No asbestos fiber type was named, and the filters themselves contained some of the elements tested for. The authors concluded the dust suggested potential long-term respiratory health risks. They noted short, limited sampling and constrained mineral analysis.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Field measurement study of airborne dust using personal samplers and gravimetric (filter-weighing) analysis, plus scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis of filters
• Who was studied: Air at debris and rescue sites on three streets in Hatay province, Turkey, 17 to 21 February 2023. Samplers were worn by search and rescue team members or by the research team. There were 19 respirable dust samples and 5 total dust samples. About 20 samples were examined by SEM and EDX.
• Exposure: Respirable and total dust from collapsed buildings and debris removal. The possible presence of asbestos was investigated, but no specific asbestos fiber type is named in the article.
• Main results:
  • Respirable dust, as stated in the authors' text: minimum 1.24 mg/m3, maximum 97.81 mg/m3, five-day average 30.84 mg/m3. These figures do not clearly reconcile with the 19 individual readings printed in Table 3.
  • Total dust: minimum 25.48 mg/m3, maximum 43.84 mg/m3, five-day average 33.66 mg/m3
  • According to the authors, average respirable dust exceeded the Turkish national threshold by about 6.2 times
  • According to the authors, average respirable dust was 3.08 times the ILO standard, and average total dust exceeded the OSHA/NIOSH and EU limits by 2.24 times
  • The authors reported that dust concentrations increased as measurement points got closer to the dust source
  • Particles collected on filters were about 0.1 to 1 micrometre in size
  • SEM images of two samples showed fiber-like particles of 20 to 40 micrometres, which the authors said suggests asbestos-like structures
  • The filters themselves contained silicon, magnesium and iron, so the analysis focused on two samples with markedly different values of these elements
  • Research team members had eye irritation and watering despite wearing full protective gear
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that average respirable and total dust exceeded national and international limits. They also concluded that SEM and EDX showed fibrous particles and elements associated with asbestos, suggesting potential long-term respiratory health risks.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • Field conditions limited the duration and frequency of sampling
  • Not all desired locations could be sampled, limiting how representative the data are of the area
  • Only short-term exposure was measured; there was no follow-up of dust levels over time
  • Chemical and mineral analyses were limited by logistical and technical constraints
  • Total dust was not measured on the last day because of an aftershock and emergency conditions

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Lung Cancer.

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