Dust

For other uses, see Dust (disambiguation).

A dust storm blankets houses in Texas, 1935
Global oceanic distribution of dust deposition
Map of dust in 2017
Three years of use without cleaning has caused this laptop heat sink to become clogged with dust, and it can no longer be used as it may catch fire.
Domestic dust on a finger

Dust is made of fine particles of solid matter.[1] On Earth, it generally consists of particles in the atmosphere that come from various sources such as soil lifted by wind (an aeolian process), volcanic eruptions, and pollution.

Dust in homes is composed of about 20–50% dead skin cells.[2] The rest, and in offices and other built environments, is composed of small amounts of plant pollen, human hairs, animal fur, textile fibers, paper fibers, minerals from outdoor soil, burnt meteorite particles, and many other materials which may be found in the local environment.[3]

  1. ^ Dust. Merriam-Webster. Archived from the original on March 14, 2017. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
  2. ^ van Bronswijk, J. E. M. H. (1981). House Dust Biology for Allergists, Acarologists and Mycologists. J. Bronswijk. p. 37. ISBN 9789027535016. OCLC 9757081.
  3. ^ Hess-Kosa, Kathleen (2002). Indoor air quality: sampling methodologies. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press. p. 216. ISBN 9781566705394. OCLC 634141112.