This combined effect, the researchers say, may also help explain the occurrence of gastrointestinal infections in high-altitude areas. By quantitatively demonstrating how both horizontal dust transport and vertical lifting of polluted air perturb the Himalayan atmospheric microbiome, the study adds a new biological dimension to the understanding of air pollution.
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Desert dust storms ferry disease-causing bacteria to the Himalayan hilltops
January 29, 2026This combined effect, the researchers say, may also help explain the occurrence of gastrointestinal infections in high-altitude areas. By quantitatively demonstrating how both horizontal dust transport and vertical lifting of polluted air perturb the Himalayan atmospheric microbiome, the study adds a new biological dimension to the understanding of air pollution.