Fugitive dust

[1] It does not include particulate matter from other common artificial sources such as vehicle exhaust, burn piles or smokestacks.

[3] Fugitive dust results from dry conditions where there is insufficient moisture content in the ground to maintain adhesion and hold the soil together.

[4] Areas with dryland or desert climates, especially when combined with high winds, have more severe problems of fugitive dust.

In order to reduce the possibility of different hazards brought upon by indoor fugitive dusts, prevention must be a top priority.

The "Dust Explosion Pentagon" lists oxygen, heat, fuel, dispersion, and confinement as these key elements.

[12] As wind-borne dust can easily migrate, respiratory irritation can occur in construction and agricultural workers close to a source as well as others including wildlife.

In 1999, the National Park Service found that lichen and other non-vascular plants in the Cape Krusenstern National Monument in Alaska were affected due to dust generated from hauling ore from the Red Dog mine along a 19 miles (31 km) road within the monument.

A follow-up study in 2006 found slightly elevated levels of lead and cadmium concentrations in small birds and voles captured along the road.

[13] A lawsuit in 2011 filed by 150 Waimea, Hawaii residents alleges that their homes were subjected, "on almost a daily basis", to blown "pesticide-laden fugitive dust".

The residents claimed their homes sustained physical damage and they were forced to live with their windows closed year-round.

They were seeking monetary damages from DuPont Pioneer to compensate for the reduced value of their homes and suggested future lawsuits would address health issues.

[4] Fugitive dust can be controlled by the application of various chemical suppressants including lignin sulfonates, petroleum resins, latexes, salts, plastics, and wetting agents.

Enclosing conveyor belts and providing proper dust collection measures will reduce leakage and control dispersion.

[18][15] The US Federal Environmental Protection Agency has specific standards for daily average particulate matter originating from active mines.