Dust

[1] On Earth, it generally consists of particles in the atmosphere that come from various sources such as soil lifted by wind (an aeolian process), volcanic eruptions, and pollution.

[2] The rest, and in offices and other built environments, is composed of small amounts of plant pollen, human hairs, animal fur, textile fibers, paper fibers, minerals from outdoor soil, burnt meteorite particles, and many other materials which may be found in the local environment.

[5] Dust in the atmosphere is produced by saltation and abrasive sandblasting of sand-sized grains, and it is transported through the troposphere.

This airborne dust is considered an aerosol, and once in the atmosphere, it can produce strong local radiative forcing.

Saharan dust, in particular, can be transported and deposited as far as the Caribbean and the Amazon basin and may affect air temperature, cause ocean cooling, and alter rainfall amounts.

[6] 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.

"Engine exhaust emissions, especially from those operating on diesel fuel, can be a significant source of fine particle generation from construction sites."

[10] Road dust may be suppressed by mechanical methods like street sweeper, vehicles equipped with vacuum cleaners,[11] vegetable oil sprays,[12] or with water sprayers.

Improvements in automotive engineering have reduced the amount of PM10s produced by road traffic; the proportion representing re-suspension of existing particulates has increased as a result.

The danger of coal dust resulted in environmental law regulating workplace air quality in some jurisdictions.

Control measures include such simple practices as spraying construction and demolition sites with water, and preventing the tracking of dust onto adjacent roads.

[citation needed] Dust control is the suppression of solid particles with diameters less than 500 micrometers (i.e. half a millimeter).

A reduced 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 may feature types of strengthened structural rigidity or sealant to vulnerable edges and joins.

The zodiacal light, as seen in a dark night sky, is produced by sunlight reflected from particles of dust in orbit around the Sun.

[15] Dust samples returned from outer space have provided information about conditions of the early solar system.

[21] House dust mites did not become a problem until humans began to use textiles, such as western style blankets and clothing.