# Dust

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{{short description|Small particles in the air and settling onto surfaces}}
{{Other uses}}
{{pp-semi-indef}}
[[File:Dust storm approaching Stratford, Texas.jpg|thumb|A [dust storm](/source/dust_storm) blankets houses in [Texas](/source/Texas), 1935]]
[[File:DustDeposition.png|thumb|Global oceanic distribution of dust [deposition](/source/deposition_(geology))]]
thumb|Map of dust in 2017
[[File:Laptop dust.jpg|thumb|Three years of use without cleaning has caused this [laptop](/source/laptop) [heat sink](/source/heat_sink) to become clogged with dust, such that it can no longer be used.]]
thumb|Domestic dust on a finger
'''Dust''' is made of [fine](/source/particle_size) [particle](/source/particle)s of solid [matter](/source/matter).<ref>{{Cite dictionary|title=Dust|publisher=[Merriam-Webster](/source/Merriam-Webster)|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dust|access-date=May 17, 2021|archive-date=March 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170314063329/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dust|url-status=live}}</ref> On Earth, it generally consists of particles in the [atmosphere](/source/atmosphere) that come from various sources such as [soil](/source/soil) lifted by wind (an [aeolian process](/source/aeolian_processes)), [volcanic eruptions](/source/Types_of_volcanic_eruptions), and [pollution](/source/pollution).

Dust in homes is composed of about 20–50% dead skin [cells](/source/Cell_(biology)).<ref>{{Cite book|last=van Bronswijk|first=J. E. M. H.|title=House Dust Biology for Allergists, Acarologists and Mycologists|year=1981|isbn=978-90-275-3501-6|page=37|publisher=J. Bronswijk |oclc=9757081}}</ref> The rest, and in offices and other [built environment](/source/built_environment)s, is composed of small amounts of plant [pollen](/source/pollen), human [hair](/source/hair)s, animal [fur](/source/fur), [textile](/source/textile) fibers, [paper](/source/paper) fibers, [mineral](/source/mineral)s from outdoor soil, burnt [meteorite](/source/meteorite) particles, and many other [material](/source/material)s which may be found in the local environment.<ref name="hesskosa">{{cite book|last=Hess-Kosa|first=Kathleen|title=Indoor air quality: sampling methodologies|publisher=[CRC Press](/source/CRC_Press)|year=2002|isbn=978-1-56670-539-4|location=[Boca Raton, Florida](/source/Boca_Raton%2C_Florida)|page=216|oclc=634141112}}</ref>

==Atmospheric==
thumb|Presentation on imported dust in North American skies
[[File:Dust storm over Libya.jpg|thumb|Large dust storm over [Libya](/source/Libya)]]
Atmospheric or wind-borne [fugitive dust](/source/fugitive_dust), also known as ''aeolian dust'', comes from dry regions where high-speed winds can remove mostly silt-sized material, abrading susceptible surfaces. This includes areas where [grazing](/source/grazing), [plough](/source/plough)ing, [vehicle](/source/vehicle) use, and other [human behavior](/source/human_behavior)s have further destabilized the [land](/source/land), though not all source areas have been largely affected by [anthropogenic impacts](/source/Human_impact_on_the_environment).<ref name="onlinelibrary.wiley.com">{{Cite journal|last1=Middleton|first1=N. J.|last2=Goudie|first2=A. S.|date=June 2001|title=Saharan dust: Sources and trajectories|journal=[Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers](/source/Transactions_of_the_Institute_of_British_Geographers)|location=London|volume=26|issue=2|pages=165–181|doi=10.1111/1475-5661.00013|bibcode=2001TrIBG..26..165M |issn=0020-2754}}</ref> Dust-producing surfaces cover one-third of the global land area. These are made up of [hyper-arid regions](/source/desert) like the [Sahara](/source/Sahara), which covers 0.9 billion hectares, and [drylands](/source/drylands), which occupy 5.2 billion hectares.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Jickells|first1=T. D.|last2=An|first2=Z. S.|last3=Andersen|first3=K. K.|last4=Baker|first4=A. R.|last5=Bergametti|first5=G.|last6=Brooks|first6=N.|last7=Cao|first7=J. J.|last8=Boyd|first8=P. W.|last9=Duce|first9=R. A.|last10=Hunter|first10=K. A.|last11=Kawahata|first11=H.|date=April 1, 2005|title=Global Iron Connections Between Desert Dust, Ocean Biogeochemistry, and Climate|journal=[Science](/source/Science_(journal))|volume=308|issue=5718|pages=67–71|bibcode=2005Sci...308...67J|citeseerx=10.1.1.686.1063|doi=10.1126/science.1105959|pmid=15802595|first12=N.|last19=Torres|first19=R.|first18=I.|last12=Kubilay|last18=Tegen|first17=A. J.|last17=Ridgwell|first16=J. M.|last16=Prospero|first15=N.|last15=Mahowald|first14=P. S.|last14=Liss|first13=J.|last13=Laroche|s2cid=16985005 }}</ref>

Dust in the atmosphere is produced by [saltation](/source/saltation_(geology)) and [abrasive sandblasting](/source/Abrasive_blasting) of sand-sized grains, and it is transported through the [troposphere](/source/troposphere). This airborne dust is considered an [aerosol](/source/Particulate), and once in the atmosphere, it can produce strong local [radiative forcing](/source/radiative_forcing). Saharan dust, in particular, can be transported and deposited as far as the [Caribbean](/source/Caribbean) and the [Amazon basin](/source/Amazon_basin) and may affect air [temperature](/source/temperature), cause ocean cooling, and alter rainfall amounts.<ref name="onlinelibrary.wiley.com"/>

===Middle East===
Dust in the Middle East has been a historic phenomenon. Recently, because of [climate change](/source/climate_change) and the escalating process of [desertification](/source/desertification), the problem has worsened dramatically. As a multi-factor phenomenon, there is not yet a clear consensus on the sources or potential solutions to the problem.

====Iran====
The dust in [Iraq](/source/Iraq) and [Iran](/source/Iran) are migratory systems that move from west to east and have the highest intensity, concentration, and extent until mid-summer, then reverse and flow from east to west in the spring.  The causes of their occurrence are the lack of humidity, dry environment, low rainfall, and annual droughts. Due to the decrease of rainfall in areas such as Iraq and Syria, most of the dust in Iran also originates from the regions of Iraq, Syria, and Jordan.<ref name="Dust in Iran"/>

In addition to the foreign foci, there are areas inside the country that have either formed new dust foci in recent years or were from the past and their extent has increased. Among these areas, parts of southern [Tehran](/source/Tehran), south of [Alborz province](/source/Alborz_province) – which in the past were plains, riverbeds, seasonal lakes, and seasonal reservoirs – and [Gavkhoni wetland](/source/Gavkhouni) of [Isfahan province](/source/Isfahan_province) can be mentioned because they have become dry and prone to dust. Among other areas that have become dust centers, [Qom province](/source/Qom_province), the Qom salt lake and its surroundings can be mentioned, as well as the [Urmia lake](/source/Lake_Urmia), which due to strong winds and due to the dryness of the lake and the reduction of its size, some areas of its bed which were underwater in the past are subject to wind erosion.<ref name="Dust in Iran">{{cite news |title=Continuity of dust in the country |script-title=fa: تداوم گرد و غبار در کشور |url=https://www.tabnak.ir/004yKs |access-date=9 April 2024 |work=Tabnak |publisher=Tabnak |date=28 July 2023 |language=Persian |archive-date=20 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240520021511/https://www.tabnak.ir/fa/news/1185246/%D8%AA%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%85-%DA%AF%D8%B1%D8%AF-%D9%88-%D8%BA%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%DA%A9%D8%B4%D9%88%D8%B1 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In Iran, the dust directly affects more than 5 million people and has become a serious government issue recently. In the [Khuzestan province](/source/Khuzestan_province), it has led to the severe increase of [air pollution](/source/air_pollution). The amount of [pollutant](/source/pollutant)s in the air has surpassed more than 50 times the normal level several times in a year. Recently, initiatives such as Project-Dust have been established to study dust in the Middle East directly.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}}

The continuation of drought has caused [water scarcity](/source/water_scarcity) or drying up of some wetlands and lakes such as [Hamon](/source/Hamun_Lake) and [Urmia Lake](/source/Urmia_Lake). This has turned them into centers of dust.<ref name="Dust in Iran"/>

Director General of the Office of Desert Affairs of Iran's Natural Resources and Watershed Organization stated that according to the data of the 2018 studies, 30 million hectares of land in the country are affected by wind erosion, and 14 million hectares of this area are considered to be the focal points of wind erosion, which causes serious damage to infrastructure.<ref>{{cite news |title=What is the key to effectively deal with dust in the country? |url=https://www.tabnak.ir/004yKs |access-date=9 April 2024 |work=Tabnak |publisher=Tabnak |date=28 July 2023 |language=Persian |quote=کد خبر:۱۱۸۵۲۴۶ |archive-date=20 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240520021511/https://www.tabnak.ir/fa/news/1185246/%D8%AA%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%85-%DA%AF%D8%B1%D8%AF-%D9%88-%D8%BA%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%DA%A9%D8%B4%D9%88%D8%B1 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Roads===
{{main|Road debris}}
Dust kicked up by vehicles traveling on [road](/source/road)s is a significant source of harmful [air pollution](/source/air_pollution).<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Khan |first1=Raihan K. |last2=Strand |first2=Mark A. |title=Road dust and its effect on human health: a literature review |journal=Epidemiology and Health |date=10 April 2018 |volume=40 |article-number=e2018013 |doi=10.4178/epih.e2018013 |pmid=29642653 |pmc=5968206 |issn=2092-7193}}</ref> Road dust consists of deposits of vehicle and industrial [exhaust gas](/source/exhaust_gas), particles from [tire](/source/tire) and [brake](/source/brake) wear, [dust](/source/construction_dust) from paved roads or [pothole](/source/pothole)s, and dust from [construction](/source/construction) sites. Road dust is a significant contributor to the generation and release of [particulates](/source/particulates) into the atmosphere.<ref>{{cite web|date=September 23, 2006|title=Environment Canada – Pollution and Waste – Tracking Pollution in Canada|url=http://www.ec.gc.ca/pdb/npri/consultations/2006/Road_Dust_e.cfm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060924014341/http://www.ec.gc.ca/pdb/npri/consultations/2006/Road_Dust_e.cfm|archive-date=September 24, 2006|access-date=May 17, 2021|website=The Green Lane}}</ref> Control of road dust is a significant challenge in [urban area](/source/urban_area)s, and also in other locations with high levels of vehicular traffic upon unsealed roads, such as mines and [landfill](/source/landfill)s.

"Engine exhaust emissions, especially from those operating on diesel fuel, can be a significant source of fine particle generation from construction sites." Construction and [demolition](/source/demolition) activities can also produce a large amount of [construction waste](/source/construction_waste). The dust and [particulates](/source/particulates) can become [fugitive](/source/fugitive_dust) and airborne with [vehicle](/source/vehicle) movements both on and outside the sites, especially when it is windy and dry.<ref name=rbkcgovuk>{{cite web | url=https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/pdf/Document%2012%20-%20BRE%20-%20Control%20of%20Dust%20from%20Construction%20&%20Demolition%20Activities.pdf | title=Control of dust from construction and demolition activities | page=12-22 |  access-date=4 Feb 2025}}</ref>

Road dust may be suppressed by mechanical methods like [street sweeper](/source/street_sweeper), vehicles equipped with [vacuum cleaner](/source/vacuum_cleaner)s,<ref>{{Cite conference|last1=Peel|first1=G.|last2=Michielen|first2=M.|last3=Parker|first3=G.|title=2001 IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics. Proceedings (Cat. No.01TH8556) |date=July 8–12, 2001|chapter=Some aspects of road sweeping vehicle automation|conference=2001 IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics|location=[Como](/source/Como)|publisher=[Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers](/source/Institute_of_Electrical_and_Electronics_Engineers)|volume=1|pages=337–342|doi=10.1109/AIM.2001.936477|isbn=978-0-7803-6736-4}}</ref> [vegetable oil](/source/vegetable_oil) sprays,<ref name="usroads.com">{{cite web|date=June 1, 1998|title=Questions and Answers: Road Dust Control with Soapstock-A Soybean Oil By- Product|url=http://www.usroads.com/journals/rmej/9806/rm980604.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180403024953/http://www.usroads.com/journals/rmej/9806/rm980604.htm|archive-date=April 3, 2018|access-date=May 17, 2021|publisher=Usroads.com}}</ref> or with water sprayers. [Calcium chloride](/source/Calcium_chloride) can be used.  Improvements in [automotive engineering](/source/automotive_engineering) have reduced the amount of [PM<sub>10</sub>s](/source/Particulates) produced by road traffic; the proportion representing re-suspension of existing particulates has increased as a result.

==Coal==
{{expand section|date=February 2019}}
[Coal dust](/source/Coal_dust) is responsible for the [respiratory disease](/source/respiratory_disease) known as [pneumoconiosis](/source/pneumoconiosis), including [coal worker's pneumoconiosis](/source/Black_lung_disease) disease that occurs among [coal miners](/source/History_of_coal_miners). The danger of coal dust resulted in [environmental law](/source/environmental_law) regulating workplace air quality in some jurisdictions. In addition, if enough coal dust is dispersed within the air in a given area, in very rare circumstances, it can cause a [dust explosion](/source/dust_explosion). These circumstances are typically within confined spaces.

{{anchor|Dust control}}<!--ATTENTION: One or more redirects point to this section; do not modify anchor without updating redirects!-->

==Control==

===Atmospheric===
[[File:Debris netting.JPG|thumb|Tarps and netting are often used to reduce the amount of dust released from [construction site](/source/construction_site)s.]]
Most governmental Environmental Protection Agencies, including the [United States Environmental Protection Agency](/source/United_States_Environmental_Protection_Agency) (EPA) mandate that facilities that generate fugitive dust, minimize or mitigate the production of dust in their operation. The most frequent dust control violations occur at new residential housing developments in urban areas. United States federal law requires that construction sites obtain [planning permission](/source/planning_permission)s to conduct earth moving and clearing of areas, so that plans to control dust emissions while the work is being carried out are specified. Control measures include such simple practices as spraying construction and [demolition](/source/demolition) sites with water, and preventing the tracking of dust onto adjacent roads.

Some of the issues include:{{Citation needed|reason=Some of these require support|date=September 2015}}
*Reducing dust related health risks that include [allergic](/source/Allergy) reactions, [pneumonia](/source/pneumonia) and [asthma](/source/asthma)tic attacks.
*Improving [visibility](/source/visibility) and [road traffic safety](/source/road_traffic_safety).
*Providing cleaner air, cleaner vehicles and cleaner homes and promoting better health.
*Improving [agricultural productivity](/source/agricultural_productivity).{{citation needed|reason=How does controlling dust improve productivity?date=October 2015|date=September 2015}}
*Reducing vehicle maintenance costs by lowering the levels of dust that clog filters, bearings and machinery.
*Reducing driver fatigue, maintenance on [car suspension](/source/car_suspension) systems and improving [fuel economy in automobiles](/source/fuel_economy_in_automobiles).
*Increasing [cumulative effects](/source/Cumulative_effects_(environment))—each new application builds on previous progress.

US federal laws require dust control on sources such as vacant lots, unpaved [parking lot](/source/parking_lot)s, and [dirt road](/source/dirt_road)s. Dust in such places may be suppressed by mechanical methods,{{Citation needed|date=October 2008}} including paving or laying down [gravel](/source/gravel), or stabilizing the surface with water, vegetable oils<ref name="usroads.com"/> or other [dust suppressants](/source/Dust_abatement), or by using water misters to suppress dust that is already airborne.{{Citation needed|date=October 2008}}

===Domestic===
thumb|House dust under a microscope
thumb|Domestic dust on a ribbon
thumb|A video on reducing dust exposure in the workplace
Dust control is the suppression of solid particles with diameters less than 500{{nbsp}}micrometers (''i.e.'' half a millimeter). Dust poses a health risk to children,<ref>{{Cite news|last=Kumar|first=Pooja Virendra|date=November 6, 2007|title=50% Bangalore kids hit by asthma|work=[The Times of India](/source/The_Times_of_India)|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Over_50_Bangalore_kids_hit_by_asthma/rssarticleshow/2520601.cms|access-date=May 17, 2021|quote=Dust mites in the humid atmosphere of Bangalore trigger around 60% of asthma|archive-date=November 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117032226/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Over_50_Bangalore_kids_hit_by_asthma/rssarticleshow/2520601.cms|url-status=live}}</ref> older people, and those with respiratory diseases.

House dust can become airborne easily. Care is required when removing dust to avoid causing the dust to become airborne. A [feather duster](/source/feather_duster) tends to agitate the dust so it lands elsewhere{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}}.

Certified [HEPA](/source/HEPA) (tested to MIL STD 282) can effectively trap 99.97% of dust at 0.3 micrometers. Not all HEPA filters can effectively stop dust; while vacuum cleaners with HEPA filters, water, or cyclones may filter more effectively than without, they may still exhaust millions of particles per cubic foot of air circulated. [Central vacuum cleaner](/source/Central_vacuum_cleaner)s can be effective in removing dust, especially if they are exhausted directly to the outdoors.

[Air filter](/source/Air_filter)s differ greatly in their [effectiveness](/source/effectiveness).  Laser particle counters are an effective way to measure filter effectiveness; medical grade instruments can test for particles as small as 0.3 micrometers. In order to test for dust in the air, there are several options available. Pre-weighed filter and matched weight filters made from [polyvinyl chloride](/source/polyvinyl_chloride) or mixed [cellulose ester](/source/Cellulose) are suitable for respirable dust (less than 10 micrometers in diameter).<ref>{{Cite web|date=January 3, 2018|title=What are the Effects of Dust on the Lungs?: OSH Answers|url=https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/lungs_dust.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126175524/https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/lungs_dust.html|archive-date=January 26, 2021|access-date=May 17, 2021|website=Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety}}</ref>

===Dust resistant surfaces===
A dust resistant surface is a state of prevention against dust contamination or damage, by a design or treatment of materials and items in [manufacturing](/source/manufacturing) or through a repair process {{citation needed|date = September 2015}}. A reduced [tacticity](/source/tacticity) of a synthetic layer or covering can protect surfaces and release small molecules that could have remained attached. A panel, container or enclosure with [seams](/source/Hemming_and_seaming) may feature types of strengthened [structural rigidity](/source/structural_rigidity) or [sealant](/source/sealant) to vulnerable [edges](/source/Edge_(geometry)) and [joins](/source/Join_(topology)).

==Outer space==
[Cosmic dust](/source/Cosmic_dust) is widely present in [outer space](/source/outer_space), where gas and dust clouds are the primary precursors for [planetary system](/source/planetary_system)s. The [zodiacal light](/source/zodiacal_light), as seen in a dark night sky, is produced by [sunlight](/source/sunlight) reflected from particles of dust in orbit around the [Sun](/source/Sun). The tails of [comet](/source/comet)s are produced by emissions of dust and ionized gas from the body of the comet. Dust also covers solid planetary bodies, and vast [dust storm](/source/dust_storm)s can occur on [Mars](/source/Mars) which cover almost the entire planet. Interstellar dust is found between the [star](/source/star)s, and high concentrations produce [diffuse nebulae](/source/Nebula) and [reflection nebula](/source/reflection_nebula)e.

Dust is widely present in the [galaxy](/source/galaxy). Ambient [radiation](/source/radiation) heats dust and re-emits radiation into the [microwave](/source/microwave) band, which may distort the [cosmic microwave background](/source/cosmic_microwave_background) power spectrum. Dust in this regime has a complicated [emission spectrum](/source/emission_spectrum) and includes both thermal dust emission and [spinning dust](/source/spinning_dust) emission.<ref>{{cite journal|author=P. Finkbeiner|first1=Douglas|last2=Davis|first2=Marc|last3=Schlegel|first3=David J.|date=October 20, 1999|title=Extrapolation of Galactic Dust Emission at 100 Microns to CMBR Frequencies Using FIRAS|url=https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1086/307852/pdf|journal=[The Astrophysical Journal](/source/The_Astrophysical_Journal)|volume=524|issue=2|pages=867–886|arxiv=astro-ph/9905128|bibcode=1999ApJ...524..867F|doi=10.1086/307852|s2cid=12187640 |oclc=691250305|access-date=May 16, 2021|archive-date=July 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180727051135/http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1086/307852/pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

Dust samples returned from outer space have provided information about conditions of the early [solar system](/source/Solar_System). Several [spacecraft](/source/spacecraft) have sought to gather samples of dust and other materials. Among these craft was [''Stardust''](/source/Stardust_(spacecraft)), which flew past [81P/Wild](/source/81P%2FWild) in 2004, and returned a capsule of the comet's remains to Earth.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hanslmeier |first=Arnold |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jmriAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA104 |title=Astrobiology The Search for Life in the Universe |date=2013-01-02 |publisher=Bentham Science Publishers |isbn=978-1-60805-473-2 |page=104 |language=en |access-date=2022-12-24 |archive-date=2022-12-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221224031239/https://books.google.com/books?id=jmriAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA104 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2010 the Japanese ''[Hayabusa](/source/Hayabusa)'' spacecraft returned samples of dust from the surface of an [asteroid](/source/asteroid).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ridpath |first=Ian |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VmZaDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT497 |title=A Dictionary of Astronomy |date=2018-04-26 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-254261-8 |page=497 |language=en |access-date=2022-12-24 |archive-date=2022-12-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221224031238/https://books.google.com/books?id=VmZaDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT497 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Atmospheric gallery==
<gallery class="center" widths="180px">
Image:Dust over Southeast Australia.jpg|Dry, windy weather sends clouds of dust across south-eastern Australia.
Image:Spring Bloom and Dust off Argentina.jpg|A pale brown plume of dust sweeps out of [Argentina](/source/Argentina)'s [Pampa](/source/Pampa)s.
Image:Dust Extends from Saudi Arabia to Iran.jpg|A thick dust plume over [Kuwait](/source/Kuwait) and the north-western tip of the [Persian Gulf](/source/Persian_Gulf)
</gallery>

== Dust bunnies ==
{{Redirect|Dust bunny|the film|Dust Bunny}}
thumb|Dust bunnies
Dust bunnies (or dustbunnies) are small clumps of dust that form under furniture and in corners that are not cleaned regularly.<ref>{{cite web |title=Scientists figure out how accumulating dust particles become planets|url=https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2019/12/09/Scientists-figure-out-how-accumulating-dust-particles-become-planets/9251575917102/|publisher=|access-date=20 March 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=What are Dust Bunnies?|url=https://cleanzen.com/blog/what-are-dust-bunnies/|publisher=|access-date=7 January 2024}}</ref> They are made of hair, [lint](/source/Lint_(material)), flakes of dead skin, [spider webs](/source/spider_webs), dust, and sometimes light rubbish and [debris](/source/debris) and are held together by [static electricity](/source/Electrostatics) and [felt](/source/felt)-like entanglement.<ref>{{cite web |last=Fella|first=Answer|url=http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/q-and-a/a5590/dust-bunnies-0309/|title=Dust Bunny Facts - Physics of Dust Bunnies|publisher=Esquire.com|date=2009-02-05|accessdate=2017-01-19|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820110707/http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/q-and-a/a5590/dust-bunnies-0309/|archivedate=2016-08-20}}</ref> They can house [dust mites](/source/House_dust_mite) or other [parasites](/source/Parasitism) and can lower the efficiency of dust filters by clogging them.<ref>Dust Control in Finite Air Volumes at Zero Gravity - Mean-Field Like Analysis. T.R.Krishna Mohan, Surajit Sen. 8 April 2004.</ref> The movement of a single large particle can start the formation of a dust bunny.<ref>Dust and fibers as a cause of indoor environment problems. T. Schneider. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health. 2008.</ref> Dust bunnies are harmful to electronics because they can obstruct air flow through [heat sinks](/source/Heat_sink), raising temperatures significantly and therefore shortening the life of electronic components.<ref>[https://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/Tech/2010/0415/Three-easy-ways-to-save-your-computer-from-an-early-retirement Three Easy Ways to Save Your Computer From an Early Retirement] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100421004514/http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/Tech/2010/0415/Three-easy-ways-to-save-your-computer-from-an-early-retirement|date=2010-04-21}}. Christian Science Monitor. Chris Gaylord. April 15, 2010.</ref> Dust bunnies have been used as an analogy for the [accretion](/source/Accretion_(astrophysics)) of cosmic matter in [planetoids](/source/Minor_planet).<ref>Formation of Cosmic Dust Bunnies. [Matthews, L.S.](/source/Lorin_Swint_Matthews), Hayes, R.L., Freed, M.S., Hyde, T.W., IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science. April 2007.</ref><ref>[http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=comet-dust-bunny Comet Dust Bunny] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110319214853/http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=comet-dust-bunny|date=2011-03-19}}. George Musser. Scientific American. October 24, 2005.</ref>

== Dust mites ==
{{Further|Dust mite allergy}}
[House dust mite](/source/House_dust_mite)s are present indoors wherever humans live.<ref name=":0b">{{Cite web |title=Dust Mites |url=https://www.lung.org/clean-air/at-home/indoor-air-pollutants/dust-mites |access-date=2022-12-23 |publisher=American Lung Association |language=en |archive-date=2022-12-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221223131312/https://www.lung.org/clean-air/at-home/indoor-air-pollutants/dust-mites |url-status=live }}</ref> Positive tests for dust mite allergies are extremely common among people with asthma. Dust mites are microscopic [arachnid](/source/arachnid)s whose primary food is dead human skin cells, but they do not live on living people.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Australia |first=Healthdirect |date=2021-09-16 |title=Dust mites |url=https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/dust-mites |access-date=2022-12-23 |website=healthdirect.gov.au |language=en-AU |archive-date=2022-12-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221223131314/https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/dust-mites |url-status=live }}</ref> They and their feces and other [allergen](/source/allergen)s are major constituents of house dust, but because they are so heavy they are not suspended for long in the air.  They are generally found on the floor and other surfaces until disturbed (by walking, for example).<ref name=":0b" /> It could take between twenty minutes and two hours for dust to settle back out of the air.

Dust mites are a nesting species that prefer a dark, warm, and humid [climate](/source/climate). They flourish in [mattress](/source/mattress)es, [bedding](/source/bedding), [upholstered](/source/upholstered) furniture, and [carpet](/source/carpet)s.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Perryman|first=Oliver|date=December 14, 2020|title=How to Get Rid of Dust Floating in the Air using a Air Purifier?|url=https://dehumidifiercritic.com/how-to-get-rid-of-dust-floating-in-the-air/|url-status=live|access-date=May 17, 2021|website=Dehumidifier Critic|archive-date=May 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210517182244/https://dehumidifiercritic.com/how-to-get-rid-of-dust-floating-in-the-air/}}</ref> Their feces include [enzyme](/source/enzyme)s that are released upon contact with a moist surface, which can happen when a person inhales, and these enzymes can kill cells within the [human body](/source/human_body).<ref>{{cite web|last=Abadi|first=Sara|date=August 2009|title=Hygiene Habits|url=http://www.aolhealth.com/healthy-living/good-hygiene|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100128225114/http://www.aolhealth.com/healthy-living/good-hygiene|archive-date=January 28, 2010|access-date=May 17, 2021|website=AOL Health|publisher=[AOL](/source/AOL)}}</ref> House dust mites did not become a problem until humans began to use textiles, such as [blankets](/source/blanket) and [clothing](/source/clothing).<ref>{{cite book|last=Colloff|first=Matthew J|title=Dust Mites|publisher=[Springer Science+Business Media](/source/Springer_Science%2BBusiness_Media)|year=2009|isbn=978-90-481-2224-0|location=[Dordrecht](/source/Dordrecht)|doi=10.1007/978-90-481-2224-0|oclc=664094692}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [Mineral dust](/source/Mineral_dust)
* [Sawdust](/source/Sawdust)
* [Moondust](/source/Moondust)
* [Medical geology](/source/Medical_geology)
* [Nephelometer](/source/Nephelometer)
* [Contamination control](/source/Contamination_control)
* [Occupational dust exposure](/source/Occupational_dust_exposure)
* [Lint (material)](/source/Lint_(material))
* [Dust explosion](/source/Dust_explosion)
* [Hanānā](/source/Han%C4%81n%C4%81)
* [Dermatophagoides](/source/Dermatophagoides)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Amato, Joseph A (2001). ''Dust: A History of the Small and the Invisible''. University of California Press. {{ISBN|0-520-23195-3}}
* Holmes, Hannah (2001). ''The Secret Life of Dust''. Wiley. {{ISBN|0-471-37743-0}}
* Steedman, Carolyn (2002). ''Dust''. [Manchester University Press](/source/Manchester_University_Press). {{ISBN|978-0-7190-6015-1}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Dust}}
{{Wikiquote}}
*[https://earth.nullschool.net/#current/particulates/surface/level/overlay=duexttau/winkel3 Global map of atmospheric dust]

{{Aerosol terminology|state=expanded}}
{{Authority control}}

Category:Dust
Category:Articles containing video clips

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Dust](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.