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Everything in our homes gathers dust. But what exactly is it? Where does it come from, and why does it keep coming back? Is it from outside? Is it fibres from our clothes and cells from our skin?
Yes, but it’s a lot more than that.
People from all around Australia and 35 other countries have been sending their dust to Macquarie University’s DustSafe program. Instead of emptying the vacuum cleaner into the bin, they package it up and we analyze it. As a result, we are getting to know the secrets of your dust!
Here’s a taste of what we know so far.
Dust Is Everywhere
Dust is everywhere. It settles on all surfaces in the natural environment as well as inside homes and buildings — where we spend about 90% of our time, even before COVID.
Some dust is natural, coming from rocks, soils, and even space. But the DustSafe program is revealing Australian house dust can include nasties such as:
- radioactive elements
- antibiotic-resistant genes (genes that make bacteria resistant to antibiotics)
- microplastics and
- perfluorinated chemicals (PFAS) found in fire-fighting foams, stain and water protection for fabrics and carpets, some packaging and other sources.
Dust From Inside Your Home
Some estimates suggest one-third of trace element contaminants in household dust originate from sources inside your home, with the rest migrating from outside via air, clothes, pets, shoes, and the like.
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Nov 10, 2023 @ 12:35:36
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