What does the dust in the apartment consist of?

Where does the dust come from and what is the dust in the apartment? Why is it a constant companion of our life, after all, even after careful cleaning you can find dust on furniture or on the floor. Is it really impossible to completely get rid of it? A lot of scientists were involved in this issue, so it is thoroughly studied.

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The main sources of dust generation

Approximately 70% of the dust that settles on the Earth is of natural origin, the remaining 30% is human waste.

Soil

The most significant source of dust is the soil. Under the influence of the wind, it rises to a height and spreads over long distances. Deserts make a special contribution to the creation of earth dust.

Important! From the Sahara Desert, the wind annually raises about 200 million tons of dust. Pinkish dust stains the snowy mountains of Central America, with the same shade of rain falling in England and Florida.

Oceans

When the sea rises, the smallest droplets appear, which are destroyed by air bubbles rising to the surface of the water. The droplets dry out, saturating the air with salts. Most of these crystals rise high into the air and serve as the basis for the condensation of water vapor.

Important! The total mass of dust particles of oceanic origin ranges from 300 million to 10 billion tons per year.

Volcanoes

The third source of dust by its number are volcanoes.

An interesting fact! August 26-28, 1883 Krakatoa volcano, which is in Indonesia, threw into the atmosphere during its eruption more than 18 cubic kilometers of small particles of rocks. Some of them climbed to a height of more than 40 kilometers, and three months later it was already in Europe.

The largest dust particles come from these natural sources. Even if the volcano is not active, it can emit smoke.

Interesting fact! From the Japanese volcano Sakuradzima, up to 14 million tons of volcanic ash leaves the atmosphere every year. The grains are carried very long distances and fall into our homes. This is just one of the substances that is included in the dust in the apartment .

Combustion products

Forest fires, the burning of coal, oil, wood and other fuels are a significant source of dust that settles on the ground. Dust particles from the fires give a bluish haze. Because of her, the sun appears yellow, and the moon is blue.

Interesting fact! After a major forest fire that occurred near New York in 1780, the smoke that reached New England caused a tarnishing of the sun and coloring in the specific color of the moon. These signs people considered as a sign of the approaching end of the world.

Space

Space dust appears on the surface of the Earth from flying meteorites, comets and other celestial bodies.

Important! Over the year, our planet receives approximately 10-12 tons of such dust.

If you are puzzled by the question of what dust is in the apartment, rest assured, samples of all these dust particles, no doubt, will be found in your house.

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Composition of dust in the apartment

Dust settles on the bedside tables, tables, cabinets, beds and on the floor. In addition to the elements already listed, the dust composition in an apartment can still include many other particles. Fully determine the set of substances and clearly answer the question of what dust in the apartment consists of, unfortunately, impossible. Of its entire mass, approximately 20-25% are components of unknown origin, perhaps it is cosmic dust.99.9% of the particles have a size of less than 1 μm.

Important! In a tightly closed apartment with airtight windows, about 12 thousand dust particles settle for 1 square centimeter of the floor in two weeks.

The dust in the apartment has approximately the following composition:

• Mineral particles - 35%.Scales of human skin - 19%.
• Particles of textile and paper fibers - 12%.
• Flower pollen - 7%.
• Particles of smoke and soot - 3%.

Important! Every day, every person passes through their lungs about 50 milliliters of dust of house dust.

The sources of dust in the apartment are mainly:

• People.
• Pets.
• Brought on the shoes and clothes in the house dirt.
• Destroyed materials of the house and its furniture.

Important! Foam furniture after 10 years of operation begins to deteriorate rapidly. As a result of this process, a large amount of substances are released into the air, which settle on furniture items and pose a serious threat to the health of all tenants of the apartment.

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Domestic dust collectors

Dust has the property of accumulating on some materials and objects in larger quantities than on others. Such objects especially attract her to her, and if you do not look after them more carefully, they can carry a considerable threat to health.

Among these elements of the interior can be identified:

• Carpet - this coating is the largest magnet for dust particles and the most difficult to remove dirt from it.
• Floor and wall carpets.
• Old books and newspapers.
• Soft toys.
• Curtains, tulle and other textile elements of the room decor.

An interesting fact! In a three-room apartment for one year, about 40 kg of dust accumulates.1 liter of air has about 500,000 dust particles.

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Dust mite

In addition to all kinds of inorganic substances, the dust composition in the apartment includes microorganisms, although they are not visible to the naked eye. They can be considered only under a microscope. It was thanks to laboratory research that dust mites were detected and studied.

An interesting fact! At a point above the letter "i" can fit about three dust mites.

These microorganisms live inside soft furniture, mattresses, on bed linens, blankets, slippers and other similar places. They feed on the dead cells of the human skin.

Important! According to the research conducted, about 2 million dust mites can live on one double bed.

By themselves, saprophytes( dust mites in the scientific world are called that way) do not pose a great danger to the human body. To some extent, they can even be considered useful, because they remove dead cells from our skin. Such ticks are not capable of carrying infectious diseases and eggs of other parasites.

But the products of life, which each of them secrete during their relatively short life, can cause significant health problems. Each individual lives for about 4 months. During this time, she manages to postpone up to 300 eggs and leave excrement 200 times greater than her own weight.

Important! Half a teaspoon of dust can contain up to 1000 saprophytic mites and 250,000 of their excrement.

These particles are especially dangerous for the human body, since they do not settle on objects for a long time because of their very low weight, and are in the air we breathe. Especially it is dangerous for people prone to allergies and asthmatics.

Important! The products of saprophytes' vital activity cause 25% of all known allergies and 50% of asthmatic diseases.

No dust mites can move from house to house. Only with the help of wind or shoes they fall into another abode.

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Harm to household dust

The dust in the apartment includes particles of different sizes:

1. Most have dimensions of about 10 microns. Such particles quickly settle on pieces of furniture and can easily be removed with a damp cloth.
2. But there are smaller particles - less than 5 microns in size, which pose a great danger to human health. Because of their small weight and size, they very slowly settle on objects and very easily enter the body through the respiratory tract.
3. Particular danger to health is dust particles of mineral origin. The most common source is materials that insulate the house. Such elements can significantly worsen human immunity and lead to the formation of malignant cancerous tumors.

Important! Scientists have made a thorough investigation of the dust of the premises where they smoke. The results were amazing, because in the dust particles a chemical element of cadmium was found, which is very toxic and dangerous for humans. Therefore, even people who do not have bad habits should avoid prolonged stay inside such premises.

When settling, dust can get into drinking water and food, which can trigger the development of infectious diseases and lung diseases.

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Useful dust actions

Contrary to all the negative qualities and dangerous consequences of human interaction with dust, it has a huge positive effect in the life of our planet:

• Particles of dust, being the nuclei of condensation, take an active part in the formation of clouds. Thus, precipitation falls to the ground. It is safe to say that without dust, the land would turn into a desert, and life on it ceased to exist.
• The amount of dust in the atmosphere has a significant impact on the climate.
• Dusts mitigate the effects of global warming, absorbing some of the solar radiation.

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Useful recommendations for reducing the amount of dust in the apartment

It is not possible to completely get rid of dust, so we advise you to get used to this idea. Each cleaning can remove some of its amount and facilitate the air in the room - that's all. But it is also worth knowing that even a little relief has a beneficial effect on the health of the tenants, so it is necessary to fight the dust carefully and regularly.

It is possible to take preventive measures to reduce dust in the apartment:

• Use only the safe materials of a modern ecological sample to insulate the apartment or house.
• Remove all carpets in the house if possible. Wall carpets today are not considered a fashion trend, so you can easily get rid of this dustbag without regret.
• Do not buy carpet. If you already have it, then carefully clean it.
• Try not to buy a large number of soft toys. Already available - wash regularly.
• Replace heavy textile curtains with louvres or lighter material. They will be easier to clean from excess dust.
• Furniture try to choose with upholstery made of leather or a quality substitute. Such a surface will be easier to clean than tissue.
• Air humidifiers will largely help remove dust particles.
• Regularly change or clean the filter in the vacuum cleaner. Failure to comply with this rule may result in the release of dust absorbed into the unit back into the air of the room.
• Get home plants. They bind dust particles, so that they quickly settle on objects. The more flowers in the pots in your apartment, the purer the air you breathe.
• The optimal place for storing small figurines and books is the place on the shelves behind the glass.
• Carefully check the condition of the foam furniture. Once you notice the defects, you must immediately replace it.
• It is advisable to do a wet cleaning daily - this will help to avoid excessive accumulation of dust.

Even such small objects as dust particles can cause a big resonance in the scientific world, and invisible trace elements can do great harm to our health. But these particles are necessary for us on the planet for natural balance and preservation of life. All you need in moderation. If this measure of dust is observed, then people's health will be strong, and the state of the Earth in an ecological sense is better.