Another One Bites the Dust: Deadly Particles in Household Dust

Dust is everywhere, yet we rarely give it more than a passing thought as we see it glistening when it is struck by a beam of sunlight. But dust is more than just the stuff accumulating on that bike you got during lockdown. It is a complex and dynamic component of our environment, reflecting the changes in our industrial practices, lifestyles, and modern materials. The composition of dust has shifted significantly and now poses unprecedented threats to human health that we are only beginning to understand.

What is Dust?

Indoor dust is a matrix of particles and harmful chemicals derived from the breakdown of materials or products used inside the home (1). The main components of dust include:

• Skin Cells

• Textile Fibres

• Soil Particles 

• Pollen and Plant Debris 

• Microscopic Organisms 

• Environmental Pollutants

The composition of dust varies depending on the location. In developed countries, it primarily consists of materials breaking down naturally. However, in many parts of the world where open fires are still used for indoor cooking, the dust can be lethal. This practice releases harmful chemicals from burning fuels, plastics, and waste products, and it’s estimated that 2.3 billion people worldwide still use these methods for cooking.

Since humans began living indoors, we have always contested with dust. But for most of our history, it comprised natural elements like soil, plant debris, and ash – organic matter humans were adapted to. The rapid growth of industrial activities and urbanisation has dramatically altered the composition of dust into a concoction of synthetic materials and chemical compounds that the human body can’t recognise.

Hazardous Particles in Dust

Modern dust contains an array of chemicals and synthetic materials. In a meta-analysis investigating 45 chemicals found in U.S. indoor dust, phthalates were detected in the highest concentrations, followed by phenols, flame retardants, fragrances, and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), with these chemicals commonly originating from consumer products and building materials like carpet, varnishes, plastic products and upholstered furniture. These materials have chemical structures that were intentionally designed to be highly durable, unlike anything found in nature.

Common Components of Dust

• Synthetic Fibres and Plastic: Synthetic textiles like polyester, nylon, and acrylic, along with plastic materials break down into microplastics which enter the dust matrix.

  
  

• PFAS: Used in non-stick cookware, water-repellent clothing, and various household products. PFAS are persistent in the environment and are causative of many health issues.

  
  

• Phthalates: These plasticisers are found in many products, from toys to personal care items. They can leach out into the environment and become part of the dust.

  
  

• Heavy Metals: Lead, mercury, and cadmium can be present due to industrial emissions, deteriorating lead-based paints, and other sources.

  
  

• Flame Retardants: Used in furniture, electronics, and building materials, compounds such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have become common in household dust. These substances can disrupt endocrine function.

We explore these in more depth in the following articles

1. A Comprehensive Guide to Forever Chemicals

2. Exploring Environmental Toxins

Health Risks and Exposure

Like all creatures, humans are well-built for the environment in which we evolved. Over millions of years, we evolved to break down or excrete organic material. In the blink of an eye in evolutionary terms, we have been inundated with novel synthetic chemicals and materials that our bodies must contend with daily.

Modern dust poses a significant health risk, contributing to respiratory issues such as asthma and systemic inflammation from fine particulate matter penetrating deep into the lungs. It serves as a vector for toxic chemicals like PFAS and phthalates linked to liver damage, thyroid disease, reproductive issues, cancer, and endocrine dysfunction. Exposure to dust containing heavy metals can also cause severe neurological and developmental disorders, especially in children. Lead dust is a well-documented cause of neurodevelopmental disorders and behavioural issues (2,3). If that wasn’t enough, allergens in dust such as mites and pollen can trigger allergic reactions and exacerbate skin conditions like eczema.  

Many of these chemicals are absorbed via inhalation, but dust also settles on surfaces and food/drinks where it can be ingested or absorbed through the skin.

Mitigating the Risk

While we have little control over the creation of dust, we can control how much there is and what it’s made of. Given the health risks associated with modern dust, it is important to do so. Here are some strategies:

Materials: Certain textured materials like carpet and upholstery will increase the surface area where dust can accumulate. If a 1m squared rug has 1cm protruding fibres it could double the total surface area where dust can accumulate.

Methods like swapping carpet for floorboards or sheer curtains with roller blinds will all help reduce surface area, and make it easier to clean dust.

Minimalism: Minimalism may be more than just an anti-anxiety design movement; it may be the route to reducing exposure to hazardous dust. Dust will settle on any surface it contacts. Simply, more surfaces, more dust.

Minimalism is a movement that focuses on minimising the number of objects in a space. Doing so reduces the total surface area on which dust can settle.

Cleaning: Frequent vacuuming, dusting with damp cloths, and washing bedding and curtains can reduce dust accumulation. Regularly cleaning AC filters and using air purifiers with HEPA filters can also help capture airborne dust particles.

Ventilation: Opening windows and ensuring proper ventilation can remove indoor dust.  

Choosing Natural Products: Choosing natural fibres, and materials and avoiding products with known harmful chemicals like aerosols, and stain-resistant materials will reduce the amount that accumulates in the dust. Dust composed of materials like cotton and wood particles poses little to no risk.

Final Thought

We are constantly exposed to an invisible cocktail of hazardous materials that accumulate in the dust around us. This exposure is not without consequences. Dust may not be the most pressing health concern we face daily, but it is certainly not insignificant.

If you take anything from this, even if it’s just a scare tactic to get your kids to clean the house, then so be it. But remember… dust is a microscopic representation of everything in our environment, and as our world becomes more toxic, so do the seemingly innocuous particles glistening in the light.