Dust Storms' Health Risks: Asthma Triggers, Chemicals, Bacteria May

[Guest guest]

Dust Storms' Health Risks: Asthma Triggers, Chemicals, Bacteria May Be In The Wind

"The most well-understood health threat from these storms is the dust particles themselves. If small enough, they can slip past a body's natural defenses -- nose hairs, for example -- to infiltrate and damage one's respiratory system. Now scientists are learning about an array of harmful substances that may also hitch a ride: arsenic and other heavy metals, agricultural fertilizers and pesticides, as well as a laundry list of bacteria, fungi and viruses.

In the southwest, one airborne hazard gaining significant attention is valley fever. A debilitating and sometimes fatal infection, it is contracted from fungal spores naturally present in the region's soil. Could dust storms send these spores into the air and into the lungs of residents? Sprigg is currently investigating a possible connection between last year's haboobs and subsequent infections. Such links haven't been well studied, he said, because people had assumed that the sun's ultraviolet rays would kill any airborne microbes. But it seems that the dust particles themselves provide a shield for their passengers, explained Sprigg, who is collaborating on a system to predict when dust storms will occur in order to alert area residents, schools and traffic cops.

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So let's see. You can't eat grain from the area because it is potentially high in nitrates and mycotoxins. You can't eat meat from the area because of the livestock being fed the contaminated grain. You can't breathe the air because it carries potentially hazardous chemicals, fungi, bacteria and viruses. And you can't just turn on your AC, stay inside and eat TV dinners made from other parts of the world, because without proper ventilation and exchange of outdoor air, the stagnant indoor environment will kill you - and so will eating only TV dinners. Not to be flippant about a serious matter, but this sounds like a plot straight out of a sci-fi movie.

Sharon

Sharon