Division of Air Quality
Utah Dust
If you’ve lived in Utah for any length of time, you’ve lived through a dust storm. We know dust is frustrating and Utahns want to know exactly what is in the dust and how dust may impact their health.
Right now, there aren’t any national “dust heavy metal health guidelines” to tell us exactly how an afternoon of dust affects our short- or long-term health. That is why Utah is being proactive.
We are gathering data now and will share it openly with health experts and the public. We want to provide the facts so that whether you are staying inside with filtered air or training for a marathon, you have the best scientific information available to protect your family.
What are we doing?
What is Great Salt Lake dust?
Great Salt Lake (GSL) dust is airborne particulate matter composed of surrounding wind-blown desert soils, which may contain dry lake bed sediments from the Great Salt Lake depending on a storm’s direction.
Should I be worried about GSL dust?
Exposed Great Salt Lake dry lake bed sediments do contain heavy metals resulting from our activities over the last century and from natural environmental conditions, but the concentrations of these heavy metals in dust remains unclear. Currently, no federal EPA standards exist specifically for dust or heavy metal concentrations during short-term dust events. By proactively tracking dust chemistry, Utah is leading the way in environmental research.
Contact
Rachel Edie
Dust Scientist
[email protected]
Contact for technical inquiries regarding Great Salt Lake dust and other dust research efforts.
Reporting immediate concerns?
If you see dust clouds coming from a construction site, gravel pit, or industrial facility, please use our dust compliance report form.