Dust is all around us…in the carpet, on tabletops, in the air. But, do you know what dust is made of? This article talks about “the poisons and allergens that make up household dust”, and after reading it, I am thoroughly grossed out.
The specific dust mix in any household differs according to climate, age of the house and the number of people who live in it – not to mention the occupants’ cooking, cleaning and smoking habits. But nearly everywhere, dust consists of some combination of shed bits of human skin, animal fur, decomposing insects, food debris, lint and organic fibers from clothes, bedding and other fabrics, tracked-in soil, soot, particulate matter from smoking and cooking, and, disturbingly, lead, arsenic and even DDT.
Thinking about how a combination of some, or even all, of those items makes up dust is disgusting. I did not want to know that I was inhaling all of that crap. Yuck!
As a very general rule, the majority of household dust – about 60% – comes from outside, through windows, doors, vents and, significantly, on the soles of your shoes. Smaller dust particles – from 28 to 49 microns, or thousandths of a millimeter – tend to stay on your shoes. The rest is shaken off inside. A higher share of the dust that floats in on the air gets deposited, but again, there’s a lot that determines how much any one home will get.
I am glad that we take off our shoes when we enter our house, so we do not trek all the particles into our carpet. Hopefully, it is contained to the front entry and does not get everywhere.
It goes without saying that your home will never be dust-free, but there are ways to reduce your own dust loading – and it’s important that you try. Dust mites, which feed on shed skin, produce allergens that are known triggers for people suffering from asthma. Same goes for cockroach dust, especially in cities. No one needs much convincing about the wisdom of getting rid of arsenic, and the good news is that about 80% of it can be removed simply by cleaning floor dust regularly.
Now that I think dust is more than just annoying, it is disgusting; I will definitely vacuum and dust more often.
How does dust affect you? After reading the article, are you going to make any changes?
