The harm and benefits of house dust. Household dust in an apartment or house

What dust is, I think, there is no need to explain. Every person has been familiar with dust since childhood, and a lot has been said about its harm. However, only a few know that ordinary house dust contains microscopic particles from outer space and many more amazing elements. In addition, sometimes dust can be very useful and necessary for society.

First of all, you should focus on the composition of house dust. In order to establish all its components, American scientists conducted interesting experiment. In a laboratory in Maryland, scientists examined dust samples collected from five different places: from under a bed, from under a gas stove, from a ceiling fan, from an air conditioner grill, from under the radiator of a bald person who does not have pets. The last sample was different in that it a priori contained neither wool nor hair.

As a result laboratory analysis experimenters have found that dust from under a gas stove contains cat hair, yeast, pollen and many colorful fabric fibers. There was a lot of pollen in the air conditioner. But there, as well as in the ventilator, spores of the causative agent of gangrene were found. The spores of this infection are carried by the wind, so they can fly anywhere. But this infection can only multiply in the absence of oxygen. Therefore, the disease will occur only if the spores fall into deep wound where air does not penetrate.

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Synthetic fibers were found in the dust from under the battery, but dust mites were found in the sample from under the bed. As a rule, these insects inhabit upholstered furniture, bedding, dust lying on the floor. Moreover, they are so small that they cannot be seen with the naked eye. Interestingly, dust mites feed on 50 million flakes of dead skin that are shed daily from a person, but they cannot eat living skin. According to research, about 2 million ticks live in just one double bed. However, these insects are harmless to humans, with the exception of those people who are allergic to dust mites.

It is worth noting that the cause of allergies to house dust is not the dust itself, but the dust mites living in it. To get rid of these microscopic insects, you should warm up and ventilate more often. bed sheets— cold and heat are detrimental to dust mites. In addition, they cannot tolerate direct sunlight. Ultraviolet radiation kills ticks and destroys allergens contained in them and their excrement in two hours.

However, despite the fact that these insects cause allergic symptoms, their percentage in dust is not the majority. A study by scientists showed that house dust is dominated by microscopic rubber particles from car tires rubbing against asphalt. Usually rubber dust particles do not fly above the fourth floor, but on the seventh floor there is almost no such dust.

Scientists have calculated that every day a resident of a large city inhales about 500 billion dust particles, including many rubber ones. And in the apartment of every city dweller, in addition to the components described above, there is also unearthly dust brought by meteorites and comets. This dust increases the Earth's mass by 10 tons every year.

However, the main sources of house dust are terrestrial objects. Moreover, 60 percent is natural dust, and another 40 percent is the result of human activity. The biggest source of dust is soil. The second place is occupied by the oceans, filling the air with crystalline grains of salt. The total mass of these grains of salt is 300 million - 10 billion tons per year. During wave impacts, microscopic droplets of water are thrown into the air, which, when dried, saturate the air with salts. The wind lifts most of these crystals into the air, where water vapor condenses on them. If dust did not appear in the air, clouds would not exist.

Another significant source of dust is volcanoes. It is from them that the largest dust appears. For example, the Sakurajima volcano on the Japanese island of Kyushu emits about 14 million tons of dust every year. The Sahara Desert also supplies the entire Earth with dust; even the snowy peaks of the mountains of Central America are colored with it. Over the course of a year, the wind carries away 60-200 million tons of dust from the world's largest desert. And all these types of dust are found in every home.

Besides interesting composition, house dust also has benefits. According to recent research by Charles Weschler of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, dust helps remove ozone from indoor air. This happens because indoor dust contains particles of human skin and a number of chemical compounds that can interact with ozone. The scientist came to these conclusions together with his colleagues from Technical University Denmark. In a study, Charles Weschler measured the cholesterol and squalene content of household dust. Both squalene and cholesterol are the main components found in skin flakes that contribute to dust formation. Squalene is part of the fat layer that forms on the skin, cholesterol is a component cell membranes. Due to the presence of multiple bonds, both organic molecules can be oxidized by ozone, reducing the content of this harmful gas in indoor air.

Dust in spring and summer is everywhere: on city streets, window sills, summer shoes that you took out of the closet, in the corners of the apartment and on the leaves of house plants. How to protect yourself and your family from it - and is it really that dangerous to our health? “P-Journal” learned all the most important things about dust and protection from it from an allergist and chemist. Take note!

As it turns out, dust can only cause problems for you when there is a lot of it or it contains allergens or pathogenic bacteria.

What is dust?

Dust is the smallest dry particles of everything that surrounds us. It may contain plant pollen, soil particles, bacteria and fungal spores, animal hair and our hair, animal dirt, pieces of paper and leather, household chemicals and much more.

Under a microscope, it presents a rainbow picture - rods, dots, plates of all colors. The reason is precisely the diversity of elements in the dust. Magnification also makes it possible to see the dust mites living in it.

Head of the R&D Laboratory of the Department of Analytical Chemistry and Expertise of the Faculty of Chemistry of Perm State National Research University Andrey Maksimov:

– It is impossible to get rid of dust once and for all at home - it is formed constantly, continuously, from everything around and is carried by air currents. Each room has walls and a ceiling, particles of which will soon begin to fly in the air unnoticed by us, even if all the windows and doors in the room are closed and a general cleaning is carried out first.

Interesting fact: more dust is generated in an elderly person’s room than in a child’s room. The reason is simple: over time, our skin becomes thinner and becomes dry, less fatty lubricant is released, as a result of which many people in old age experience increased flaking of the skin. Skin particles settle in the room and create the basis of dust.

Allergies and other passions

The dust particles themselves do not threaten us in any way, experts say.

Dust is dangerous in two cases:

1. When there is a lot of dust.

This may cause irritation respiratory tract– you feel irritation of the skin in the nose area, you sneeze a lot, your tears are flowing, your nose is stuffy. By the way, dust can also be irritating to the eyes and skin.

Typically, excess dust is observed in the spring, when pollen appears in the air, sidewalks dry out, and dirt particles begin to fly in the air, etc. At this time, according to Dr. medical sciences, Head of the Department of Faculty and Hospital Pediatrics of Perm State Medical University Evgeniy Furman, our defense mechanisms cannot cope with such a flow of small particles environment, which leads to the consequences indicated above.

2. When dust contains allergens or pathogenic bacteria.

Why do some people sneeze as soon as they enter a dusty room, while others don’t even care? It's simple: dust is a serious allergen. More precisely, it can contain tiny particles of the most common and terrible allergens - plant pollen, animal hair and skin, molecules of “household” chemicals, wood dust. It also contains dust mites, which more often than other allergens cause bronchial asthma - a serious infectious disease, attacks of which cause suffocation.

By the way, they reproduce best and appear in houses at the end and beginning of the heating season: the favorite temperature of dust mites is in the range from 9 to 18 degrees Celsius, namely in the spring it is still cold outside, but in our apartments it is already warm and high humidity .

The ability of dust to cause allergies and diseases is the main harm it can cause.

According to the World Health Organization, over the past decade the number of allergy sufferers in Russia has increased by 20%. According to the Institute of Immunology of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia, in 1980 only 25% of the Russian population suffered from one or another allergy, and today about a third react to allergens - which means that dust is potentially dangerous for a third of all Russians.

As for pathogens that are carried with dust - we're talking about, for example, about fungal spores or dust mites - they can cause itching, dryness, peeling and irritation of the skin, and various dermatitis. The dust may contain silica, essentially very fine sand, which when inhaled can cause the dangerous lung disease silicosis.

However, according to Andrei Maksimov, in small doses, in everyday life, silicon dioxide is not dangerous. Much more dangerous in this sense is industrial dust - for example, that which is formed as a result of mining and construction (in this case, it is necessary to use protective equipment - masks, respirators, etc.).

Who suffers most from dust?

People with upper respiratory tract diseases;
Small children;
Active and passive smokers.

How to deal with dust? 6 effective ways

Since we cannot completely get rid of dust, let's take measures that will help minimize its harm. Here's what our experts recommend:

get used to breathing outside through your nose - the villi in the nasal cavity hold back dust;
from time to time, spray the nasal mucosa with saline solutions containing salts (buy a ready-made sodium chlorine solution at the pharmacy);
try to spend more time in nature on weekends - this way you will maintain good ventilation. Walk less near roads and industrial facilities;
ventilate your apartment, office and other rooms where you are often located every day;
Remember that the enemy of dust is wet surfaces. The door mat can be periodically moistened: it will prevent dust from rising and scattering in the air. For the same reason, wipe surfaces with a damp cloth - otherwise you will simply disperse dust throughout the room.
If possible, try not to replace ventilation with air conditioning: microorganisms harmful to humans can settle inside such equipment. If you have an air conditioner, clean it regularly.

Alena Usacheva

If the majority of women are more or less aware of the dangers of work (especially during pregnancy and breastfeeding) in enterprises chemical industry, enterprises related to ionizing radiation and etc.; are familiar with the harm that work associated with heavy lifting, hypothermia and other unfavorable factors can cause to their health, then in dusty industries many people do not pay attention to occupational hygiene. Therefore, we consider it necessary to dwell on the issue of dust protection in more detail.

Features of industrial dust

Industrial dust occurs in the following industries:

mining (coal and mining),
metallurgical (sintering shops),
porcelain,
mechanical engineering,
textile,
flour milling, etc.

Not much less dust appears also during many works in agriculture(threshing bread, cleaning grain, stacking, etc.).

The effect of dust on the human body depends not only on physical properties, but also on the chemical composition of the dust. Many types of dust have pronounced irritating properties (for example, bleach dust) or contribute to the occurrence of allergic diseases(dust of jute, ipecac, hemp, etc.).

Lead, manganese, silicon, etc. are also found in a dusty state.

The effect of dust on the human respiratory tract

Dust entering the human respiratory tract is largely retained on the mucous membrane of the nose and bronchi, and then released back when sneezing and coughing; Some of the dust reaches the lungs (mostly smaller particles).

The amount of dust retained in the respiratory tract depends both on its physical and chemical properties, and on the condition of the respiratory system. According to many experts, about 50% of dust that enters the respiratory tract is retained in the lungs.

Dust primarily affects the upper respiratory tract. As a result, redness of the mucous membranes occurs, their swelling occurs, and the secretion of the glands increases. These inflammatory processes They change the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract so much that it gradually loses its ability to retain dust and the latter easily penetrates into the lungs.

At long-term exposure dust causes rhinitis, bronchitis and other diseases. Dust of chromium, arsenic and other substances has a high chemical activity and, in addition to the expressed local action, being absorbed into the body, has overall impact, causing certain diseases. Some types of dust also contribute to pneumonia (for example, slag, manganese dust, etc.).

In some cases, dust can provide a medium for the development and infectious diseases (actinomycosis).

Particular attention should be paid to diseases such as pneumomycosis. These diseases are observed among brewery workers (especially in malt shops), among collective farmers working in grain cleaning, etc. They are caused by the development of mold fungi in dust.

With prolonged exposure to dust, they can develop pneumoconiosis- lung diseases associated with the development of fibrous tissue in them. Pneumoconiosis can be caused by various dusts. Therefore, diseases caused by the action of quartz are called silicosis, silicates - silicatosis, coal dust - anthracosis, talc dust - talcosis etc.

Talc can also contain free silicon dioxide and asbestos as impurities, and therefore also causes pleural mesothelioma and lung cancer. Workers in the rubber and tire industries are especially susceptible to these diseases.

The effect of dust on a woman during pregnancy and lactation

Particularly unfavorable consequences under the influence of industrial dust can be observed in women during pregnancy and during lactation. In such cases, spontaneous abortions and other pregnancy disorders may occur. Therefore, pregnant women should not be allowed to participate in such types of production.

Effect of dust on other organs (skin, eyes, genitals)

Large concentrations of dust coming into contact with the skin clog the excretory ducts of the sweat and sebaceous glands, as a result of which they can develop dermoconiosis observed in stokers, workers cement factories and etc.

Prolonged exposure to dust on the mucous membranes of the eyes can cause conjunctivitis.

Dust is also not harmless if it gets into the genitals. As a result, various inflammatory diseases: vulvitis, colpitis, vulvovaginitis, etc.

Prevention of diseases in dusty industries

Considering a number of complications that may occur in persons engaged in production with increased content dust, the state is implementing a whole system of measures aimed at their prevention.

All preventive measures to combat industrial dust can be divided into 3 groups:

Technological activities;
Sanitary;
Medical and preventive.

Technological measures are aimed primarily at improving technological processes, implementation integrated mechanization and production automation, as well as sealing production equipment.

Sanitation measures are aimed at reducing the amount of dust. For this purpose, hydrodust removal and ventilation are widely used.

Medical and preventive measures include mandatory preliminary and periodic medical examinations.

Preliminary medical examinations are intended to prevent persons whose condition may noticeably deteriorate from work in production conditions associated with occupational hazards.

Periodic medical examinations are aimed at identifying persons with initial stages pneumoconiosis in order to transfer them to another job.

Except preventive measures general, great importance There is also individual prevention. In this regard, the use of preventive alkaline inhalations, the installation of inhalators, etc. is of great importance.

respirators - respiratory protection;
rubber or nitrile gloves - protection against dust and mechanical damage hand skin;
protective glasses- prevent dust and flying particles from getting into your eyes;
Earplugs - In general, earplugs are used to protect against noise, but they will also protect the skin in the ear canals from dust.

Breathing is a scientifically proven fact. With frequent exposure to it, breathing becomes difficult, and the most common disease, silicosis, develops. It is also dangerous due to its complications, which can provoke tuberculosis, cause emphysema or bronchitis. This disease belongs to the category of occupational diseases. Workers in the engineering, metallurgical, and porcelain industries are often susceptible to it.

Graphite dust is dangerous due to its chemical composition. Carbonaceous dust consists mainly of silicon dioxide. It is the impact of this component that is so dangerous. Another disease similar in symptoms to silicosis is anthracosis. This disease occurs when a lot of dust (coal or graphite) has accumulated in the lungs.

But dust bronchitis is characterized by lung pathology caused by damage to the bronchioles. The disease is also considered occupational and occurs due to active influence graphite dust on the body for a long time. By initial symptoms very similar to ordinary bronchitis. On late stages As the disease progresses, greater irritation of the respiratory system occurs than during normal conditions.

Graphite dust also has a negative effect on the skin, causing itching and irritation. Settling on the face and hands, small graphite dust particles dry the skin and provoke cell death. Aging process skin happens much faster. If you do not use special creams and oils, a person is several years older than his age. Workers whose profession is directly related to exposure to graphite dust must working day must take a shower.

Fighting methods

If ordinary dust at home can be dealt with by frequent cleaning, then in dusty industries the situation is much worse. To make graphite dust less dangerous for humans, hoods are installed above the machines. They reduce the amount of dust in the air. In addition, the worker must have individual means protection, among which the most common is a respirator. These simple methods protections reduce the risk of occupational diseases several times. If you ignore them, after 10 years they will make themselves felt. A daily shower will cleanse the skin and its pores of small dust particles, relieve itching and irritation.

A person who works closely with graphite and other substances containing graphite must be examined by a doctor at least three times a year. This is necessary even if all protective measures are used.

No matter how often you clean your home, you won't be able to completely remove it from the room. It appears for many reasons. Pets, wind, pollen and pollutants are just a few.

Composition and origin of dust

Household dust mainly consists of dirt, pollen, human skin and hair follicles, animal hair, sand, insect peels and cleaning residues. Depending on where you live, environmental conditions, the quality of the air you breathe, your window and ventilation systems, your home may become dusty. This happens as a result of your interaction with the world around you.

If you live in an urban area, you may notice a black film appearing on your furniture. This dust mainly consists of pollutants that enter the home from outside. If you live in dry and less populated areas, the dust will usually consist of plant pollen.

Some pets create more dust than others. This applies to some breeds of cats and large dogs.

Dust accumulates in recesses near windows, in ventilation openings and on the surface of heating pipes. Air conditioners and electronic devices exposed to static electricity also become very dirty.

In the kitchen, dust can mix with liquids or cleaning products, creating a film that is difficult to remove. It often collects on the surfaces of cabinets or refrigerators and on rarely used cutlery.

Should I worry about dust?

With an inhalation rate of 50 billion particles per hour, the amount of contaminated dust that enters the human body is alarming. Some health experts argue that air pollution from fine particles contributes to cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. Recent research conducted at the University of Berkeley has shown that dust contains a large number of pesticides. Therefore, it is recommended to clean the air in the house from dust as often as possible.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, indoor air can be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air. The first signs of contamination may include minor irritations such as itchy eyes, sneezing and headaches after visiting certain rooms. It can also be one of the main factors causing severe allergies or asthma. Because most indoor air pollutants are invisible to the naked eye, they are also small enough to penetrate the walls of the lungs and into the bloodstream. In this case, you will not feel anything unusual until the disease or allergy occurs.

Video on the topic

The cleaner the surrounding air, the healthier body. But in the modern industrialized world, there are fewer and fewer environmentally friendly places left. AND human body are becoming more and more influenced polluted environment. One such contaminant is dust.

Dust formation and effects on the body

Dust is present everywhere where people carry out their activities. Even in a room that is considered clean, it is not large quantities There is still dust. Sometimes it is visible when a ray of sunlight passes through. There is dust various types, for example road, cement, plant, radioactive. It is formed due to the crushing of solids, abrasion, evaporation and subsequent condensation into solid particles, combustion, chemical reactions.

The impact of dust on the human body is determined by its chemical composition. The greatest impact on the body occurs when inhaling dust. As a result, this can cause damage to the respiratory system, bronchitis, pneumoconiosis, contribute to the development of body reactions such as allergies or intoxication and the appearance various diseases: pneumonia, tuberculosis, lung cancer. Exposure to dust can also cause eye and skin diseases.

People who work in the paint and varnish industry and inhale dust containing polycyclic hydrocarbons are most exposed to carcinogens. Even if you follow preventive and protective measures, it is possible that carcinogens and other harmful substances into the body. Accumulation in organic tissues enhances the effect of carcinogens; the consequences do not appear immediately, but after a certain life expectancy.

Dust may contain biological active substances. Most of them are very important for the body: they have pharmacological activity and have extremely diverse positive physiological functions. But there are also harmful ones containing salts heavy metals, tannins, alkaloids. IN large doses, it is a poison, in small doses it is used as strongly active medicine. Therefore, the harmfulness of dust is determined by its saturation.

Dust containing tiny sharp particles of solids is very harmful. Glass, diamonds, stone. This is lunar dust, which was formed from the explosions of falling meteorites. Fortunately, she is not on earth. When examined, it looks like fragments with sharp, cutting edges, and besides, it is also radioactive. If you inhale such dust, a person will not live long. But the most harmful thing on earth is radioactive dust.

Classics of the genre

Wet cleaning (washing floors, wiping all surfaces with a damp cloth) is still the main way to combat dust. But it’s better to hide a broom (and special brooms for cleaning dust from shelves) away, because it only redistributes dust in the room. During the cleaning process, do not forget to wipe the flower leaves with a damp cloth or sponge.

Helpful advice: If you use a vacuum cleaner to fight dust, change bags and filters often, otherwise it will become a high-tech version of a broom.

Remember to regularly ventilate the area, as well as traditional dust collectors such as pillows, mattresses, blankets, and other household items and decor. Such measures will also help in the fight against domestic ticks. Wash what you can often, shake out the rest, knock it out.

This one helps a lot in the fight against dust. modern gadget like a humidifier. Buy it and use it constantly, especially if you live on the ground floor with windows facing the avenue.

Little tricks for effective dust control

Don't forget to vacuum the walls, especially if the wallpaper has a three-dimensional pattern.

In summer, change carpets from wool to cotton. The same applies to other textiles (especially if there is lint on the fabric). Use antistatic agents so that carpets, bedspreads, and curtains collect less dust.

Store books and interior items such as figurines, boxes, vases in closed cabinets. Such cabinets also need to be cleaned from the inside - vacuumed, wiped the shelves with a damp cloth.

IN warm time moisten the window screens with a spray bottle.

You can see dust anywhere. And it is simply impossible to get rid of it, no matter what measures are taken to achieve this. You can only reduce its quantity and then it will not cause any harm to health.

What is dust made of?

Why is dust dangerous?

For any person, inhaled dust only causes harm to health. But if there are also, in addition to everything, any accompanying hereditary factors, then the situation becomes doubly complicated.

Once in the human body, the microorganisms that make up the dust penetrate inside and continue their life activity there. As a result of this, the person’s immunity suffers and is unable to fully cope with the problem that has arisen. As a result, the body becomes weakened, which makes it vulnerable to various allergens. arise allergic manifestations, concomitant diseases worsen, and new ones are formed.

Dust mainly causes the following diseases: bronchial asthma and other allergies, as well as pancreas, lungs, heart and joints. And this is not the entire list possible diseases which can cause dust. Against the background of one disease, another may arise, and the most weakened organ in the body suffers. Surprisingly, harmful effects There is actually a lot more dust than we think.

How to deal with it?

You can’t hide from dust anywhere and you can’t remove it forever by any means. She was, is and will be. But, if you regularly carry out wet cleaning, vacuum (or better yet, remove) carpets, replace all down and feather pillows with hypoallergenic ones, ventilate in the sun or hang bedding in the cold, you can significantly reduce the negative impact of dust and everything associated with it, on the human body.