Mixing of natural and urban dust along the Wasatch Front of northern Utah, USA
Abstract Understanding the composition and transport of mineral dust is essential for assessing its environmental and health impacts. We investigated the properties of mineral dust along the urbanized Wasatch Front in northern Utah (USA), comparing it with natural dust collected from upwind location...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-88529-9 |
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| author | Jeffrey S. Munroe Gregory T. Carling Kevin D. Perry Diego P. Fernandez Derek V. Mallia |
| author_facet | Jeffrey S. Munroe Gregory T. Carling Kevin D. Perry Diego P. Fernandez Derek V. Mallia |
| author_sort | Jeffrey S. Munroe |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Understanding the composition and transport of mineral dust is essential for assessing its environmental and health impacts. We investigated the properties of mineral dust along the urbanized Wasatch Front in northern Utah (USA), comparing it with natural dust collected from upwind locations in the arid Great Basin. Using physical and geochemical analyses, we identified significant differences between urban and natural dust that are not attributable to the intervening landscapes. These differences arise from the mixing of natural dust with local anthropogenic materials, including sediments from the Great Salt Lake playa conditioned by over a century of urban activity. This urban-influenced dust is transported downwind, where it may contribute to elevated levels of cadmium, copper, and zinc in streams of downwind mountain watersheds. These findings underscore the far-reaching impact of urban dust on critical ecosystems and highlight the need for integrated management strategies to mitigate dust-related environmental consequences. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e745bbb80c124746bddf2fae8b0dbc00 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-e745bbb80c124746bddf2fae8b0dbc002025-02-02T12:16:21ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-01-0115111410.1038/s41598-025-88529-9Mixing of natural and urban dust along the Wasatch Front of northern Utah, USAJeffrey S. Munroe0Gregory T. Carling1Kevin D. Perry2Diego P. Fernandez3Derek V. Mallia4Department of Earth and Climate Sciences, Middlebury CollegeDepartment of Geological Sciences, Brigham Young UniversityDepartment of Atmospheric Science, University of UtahDepartment of Geology and Geophysics, University of UtahDepartment of Atmospheric Science, University of UtahAbstract Understanding the composition and transport of mineral dust is essential for assessing its environmental and health impacts. We investigated the properties of mineral dust along the urbanized Wasatch Front in northern Utah (USA), comparing it with natural dust collected from upwind locations in the arid Great Basin. Using physical and geochemical analyses, we identified significant differences between urban and natural dust that are not attributable to the intervening landscapes. These differences arise from the mixing of natural dust with local anthropogenic materials, including sediments from the Great Salt Lake playa conditioned by over a century of urban activity. This urban-influenced dust is transported downwind, where it may contribute to elevated levels of cadmium, copper, and zinc in streams of downwind mountain watersheds. These findings underscore the far-reaching impact of urban dust on critical ecosystems and highlight the need for integrated management strategies to mitigate dust-related environmental consequences.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-88529-9 |
| spellingShingle | Jeffrey S. Munroe Gregory T. Carling Kevin D. Perry Diego P. Fernandez Derek V. Mallia Mixing of natural and urban dust along the Wasatch Front of northern Utah, USA Scientific Reports |
| title | Mixing of natural and urban dust along the Wasatch Front of northern Utah, USA |
| title_full | Mixing of natural and urban dust along the Wasatch Front of northern Utah, USA |
| title_fullStr | Mixing of natural and urban dust along the Wasatch Front of northern Utah, USA |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mixing of natural and urban dust along the Wasatch Front of northern Utah, USA |
| title_short | Mixing of natural and urban dust along the Wasatch Front of northern Utah, USA |
| title_sort | mixing of natural and urban dust along the wasatch front of northern utah usa |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-88529-9 |
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