Toxic metals found in Utah dust storms tied to Great Salt Lake study

A GeoHealth journal study released last month warns that dust storms around the Great Salt Lake carry toxic metals that may threaten residents' health. Researchers found arsenic, which can contribute to diabetes and various cancers, and lead, known for neurodevelopmental harm in children, in dust that blows across the Salt Lake Valley. The findings add to long-standing concerns about air quality in Utah's Basin and Range geography, where winter temperature inversions trap pollutants over the population.

The study notes that dust contains contaminants sourced partly from the Great Salt Lake playa, a shrinking flat area that exposes mineral-rich sediments, and partly from human activities such as mining and smelting. In some samples, thallium, a highly toxic element, was detected and may point to sources including the Ogden Defense Depot Superfund site or nearby hot springs, though the origin remains uncertain. Researchers collected dust at 17 sites in Davis, Weber, Box Elder and Cache counties during late summer and fall of 2022, a dry year when the lake fell to a record low. Dust traps were fashioned from round cake pans with glass marbles suspended over plastic mesh and placed without power at the sites, a simple method described by lead author Annie Putman, a hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, as inexpensive and effective for capturing dust. The dust was then analyzed for isotopes at the University of Utah to help determine likely sources. The dry conditions in 2022 also reflected a broader trend in which the Great Salt Lake’s water level has fluctuated dramatically in recent years, affecting dust transport.

Annie Putman said that because the Utah Basin is effectively closed, pollutants can ride storm fronts from the playa into populated areas. 'Because we're in a closed basin,' she told The Salt Lake Tribune, 'much of what we do ... has a chance to end up in the lake.' Investigators have tied dust exposure to nearby mining and smelting activities in the region, including copper mining in Kennecott and other industrial operations in Salt Lake County. The study also found that children younger than six years old are at greatest risk because they tend to ingest more dust relative to their body size.

Utah's Department of Environmental Quality is building a state-wide monitoring system to track dust across the state. In the meantime, the study's authors urge residents to take practical steps to reduce exposure, such as washing hands, cleaning toys and produce, removing shoes indoors and using vacuums equipped with HEPA filters. The goal is to make science actionable for families living in communities already dealing with dust and air-quality challenges around the Great Salt Lake.