These clouds are then carried eastward by prevailing winds and pass over China, North and South Korea, and Japan, as well as parts of the Russian Far East.

Specific records referring to Asian Dust events in Korea also exist from the Baekje, Goguryeo, and Joseon periods.

An analysis of Asian Dust clouds conducted in China in 2001 found that they contain high concentrations of silicon (24–32%), aluminium (5.9–7.4%), calcium (6.2–12%), and iron.

Sulfur (an acid rain component), soot, ash, carbon monoxide, and other toxic pollutants including heavy metals (such as mercury, cadmium, chromium, arsenic, lead, zinc, copper) and other carcinogens, often accompany the dust storms, along with viruses, bacteria, fungi, pesticides, antibiotics, asbestos, herbicides, plastic ingredients, combustion products and hormone-mimicking phthalates.

Though scientists had known that intercontinental dust plumes can ferry bacteria and viruses, "most people had assumed that the [sun's] ultraviolet light would sterilize these clouds," says microbiologist Dale W. Griffin, "We now find that isn't true.

[7] High population growth in China has led to increasing demand for wood for housing and furniture as well as for firewood for cooking and heating.

Since traditional agricultural techniques rely heavily on human labor, people continued to have more children, which in turn led to more overgrazing.

Several research studies conducted in Korea and Japan focused on respiratory function performance by measuring peak expiratory flow.

[6][8][9] There is also evidence that days with Asian Dust coupled with smog lead to increased mortality due to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases among inhabitants in affected regions.

[11] Due to the concerning health effects, residents of affected regions have reduced their exposure to Asian dust by refraining from outdoor activities.

Despite the temperature rise to warm levels during spring season, popular outdoor destinations are empty on days with yellow dust advisory or warning.

In 2019, the Korea Baseball Organization changed its regulations to cancel or suspend professional games during a severe fine dust warning.

[12] In addition to costs incurred by individuals, the rise of Asian dust has led to mixed pecuniary effects in different industries.

Washing dust off a single B747 jumbo jet typically takes 6000 liters of water and eight hours with nine people working.

[17] Another study that focused on the total economic impacts of the yellow dust storms in Beijing concluded that it accounted for greater than 2.9% of the city's GDP in the year 2000.

[18] Asian dust is a historically significant contributor of soil nutrients for some North Pacific islands, including Hawaii.

Policy choices that favor rapid industrialization and deforestation in China, Mongolia, and other Central Asian regions impose social costs on Eastern countries, such as Korea, Japan, and Russia in the Far East.

[21] According to an analysis on data from Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), the average number of days with Asian dust in a given year was about two in the 1960s.

[22] Asian dust, in combination with smog and general air pollution, has become so severe that it became a political issue in the South Korean presidential election in 2017.

All three main candidates of the election—Moon Jae-in, Ahn Cheol-soo, and Hong Joon-pyo—promised to take measures to alleviate these growing national air pollution problems.

[10] In the first few months of 2017, Seoul had twice the number of ultrafine dust warnings, during which people were advised to limit outdoor activities and stay indoors when compared to 2016.