Get reliable science

Dust storms are the result of soil erosion by wind. They cause considerable damage both at their site of origin (e.g. the farm paddock, Leys and McTainsh1994) and down wind as they deposit unwanted dust and reduce air quality (Chan et al., 2005). There are few actual estimates of monetary costs associated with dust storms. Huszar and Piper (1986) in the United States determined that the major off-site impact of dust erosion was on households, principally due to interior cleaning and domestic landscaping clean ups. Williams and Young(1999), in an initial study of the costs of dust in Australia, included the health costs,incorporating mortality and morbidity costs, of dust storms in South Australia and concluded that a majorcost of dust in South Australia was caused by adverse health effects, particularly on the portion of the population that suffered from respiratory diseases, especially asthma sufferers.