Dust is a general name for minute solid particles of diameters less than 500 micrometers (otherwise see sand or granulates ) and, more generally, for finely divided matter. On Earth, dust occurs in the atmosphere from various sources: soil dust lifted up by wind, volcanic eruptions, and pollution are some examples; airborne dust is considered an aerosol and can have a strong, local radiative forcing on the atmosphere and significant effects on climate. Dust is also widely present in outer space (see interstellar dust and Zodiacal light), where gas and dust clouds are primary precursors for planetary systems.

The physical behavior of dust follows laws that are not always comparable with that of solid or fluid matter. For example, the pressure on a box full of dust need not be uniform (See physics of granulate matter for explanation).

House dust

The dust which collects in houses is composed of atmospheric dust combined with dust generated by the inhabitants, mostly from sloughed skin cells and fibers from clothing and coverings. It is removed with a broom, dusting cloth, or vacuum cleaner.

House dust mites feed on the organic components of house dust. Their feces, in turn, become part of house dust and can provoke allergic reactions in humans.

See also

• dust storm

The term dust is used in astronomy to mean interstellar dust, also called cosmic dust.

Dust is also a term used in the His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman - see Dust.

Dust is a science fiction novel by Charles Pellegrino .

Dust also is a record by Mark Lanegan.

""Dusting "" is also jargon in the Buffyverse meaning to slay a vampire.

de_dust is a map for the computer game Counter-Strike.