Fugitive Dust Can Cause Runaway Breathing Problems



Posted: Wednesday, August 05, 2009

by Mark Sierra

Fugitive dust is a specific problem that is made by people when interacting with their surrounding environment. This is not a manmade pollutant. Fugitive dust is not emitted from any chimney, smoke stack or vent. Instead, this is a small solid or liquid particle that arises from the soil every time a person, animal, wind or object passes over it and disturbs it. A good example of this is a sand storm.

Fugitive dust is a persistent issue in the arid locations of the western part of the US. This problem develops wherever long dry conditions are present and the moisture has dried from the top soil.

This has become particularly disconcerting for people with respiratory problems. The size of the average fugitive dust is 10 micrometers or smaller. This small size particle can remain in the air for days or even weeks, depending on the wind conditions. Because of the small size of this particle, it has the capability of entering a person's respiratory system. This is the reason for concern. This small, but hard particle can damage the lungs and cause long term respiratory issues.

This has become a significant source of concern from the State of Idaho all the way down to New Mexico. Because of this, cities like Albuquerque have developed reports that can assist people and companies reduce this problem in their local areas.

Their methods for reducing fugitive dust are varied, but include watering down the land with hoses or water trucks. The use of wind fences have also shown to help decrease the amount of dust that becomes airborne. The most repeated method for control is the growing of plant life in the problem area. The optimal way to stop fugitive dust during high wind conditions is to stop working in those areas until the winds die down.

Additional information can be found regarding how you can eliminate dust nuisance especially in construction areas where dust is most prevalent. Check out the Dust Stop Zone
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