Utah: harmful pollutants found in urban dust along Wasatch Front

A recently published study from the University of Utah found the presence of harmful pollutants like arsenic and lead in airborne dust along the Wasatch Front. The pollutants are mixed with natural dust, making the blend dangerous for residents. University of Utah atmospheric science professor Kevin Perry said that the research wanted to look at the composition of dust in urban and non-urban areas, assessing its alteration when moving from the natural sources through urban spaces into the mountains. From 2020 and 2022, he and his colleagues placed traces along the Wasatch Front filled with marbles. They would trap dust and, once cleaned by scientists, provide samples for analysis. At the end of the process, the research team found that natural dust sources from Utah and Nevada have different chemical compositions from those measured in urban areas, indicating contamination with pollutants in the cities.
According to Perry, dust samples from urban areas had high concentrations of several metals, including lead, arsenic, zinc, cobalt, and copper. The cobalt and arsenic concentrations exceeded the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Regional Screening Levels. Many pollutants come from industrial and mining activities along the Wasatch Front. Overall, Perry said he was not shocked by the results of the research, due to pollution levels in urban environments and their contamination of the atmosphere. However, he remarked that dust mixed with urban metals is problematic from a health perspective. A way to stop such dust along the Wasatch Front is through water conservation, putting water back in the Great Salt Lake – the main source of natural dust in the region – and covering up dust hotspots that could represent a health risk. Perry also suggested reducing emissions to curb local pollution.
While the study helped researchers identify what kind of pollutants can be found in urban dust, several questions remain unanswered because there are currently not enough dust monitoring networks around the Great Salt Lake. However, researchers are using computer models to see how dust affects communities in the area and how metals carried by it interact with mountain ecosystems.