10-04-2025
- Health
- National Geographic
Dust isn't just dirt—it's full of ‘forever chemicals' that can harm your health
Cleaning the dust from your home is more critical than you think for your health—but put down that feather duster. Studies show that dust is filled with chemicals that are linked to health conditions such as cancer, diabetes, endometriosis, and attention deficit disorder. And experts point out these cleaning tools only re-suspend dust in the air, causing you to inhale all those chemicals. Photograph by Steven Puetzer, Getty Images
Dust may seem like a harmless nuisance—but experts say those tiny particles that are floating in the air or accumulating in clumps under your couch or on your windowsill may actually cause more harm than you think.
'Most people think dust is gross but I don't think people associate dust with the potential health harms it may contain,' says Tasha Stoiber, a senior scientist at the Environmental Working Group. 'It might not be people's number one cleaning priority.'
But it should be high on the list of priorities because dust isn't just dirt. It contains a blend of various substances, including dead skin cells, hair fragments, pet dander, clothing and furniture fibers, dust mites, mold and fungi spores, microplastic particles, as well as allergens (such as pollen), bacteria, and soil particles that come in from outside.
Furthermore, scientists are increasingly recognizing that dust also contains potentially and harmful chemicals that aren't visible to the naked eye.
Researchers have identified 45 potentially harmful chemicals in indoor dust, with phthalates, phenols, and flame retardants at the highest levels. Another study in the journal Environmental Science & Technology identified 258 chemicals in household dust samples. Chemicals in household dust include pesticides, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS, a.k.a. 'forever chemicals'), lead, and other volatile organic compounds.
(Forever chemicals are also hiding in your kitchen. Here's where.)
In fact, a study in a December 2024 issue of the journal Environment International found that exposure to PFAS in house dust may contribute up to 25 percent of total exposure for adults. And a study in a February 2025 issue of the International Journal of Cancer examined chemical exposure from dust among children ages seven and younger: The researchers found that kids who were exposed to a mixture of eight PFAS from collected household dust samples were 60 percent more likely to develop leukemia than kids with less PFAS exposure. Researchers have identified 258 chemicals in household dust samples—including PFAS, or "forever chemicals." Using a high-quality HVAC filter like this one can help mitigate the accumulation of dust. Photograph by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images How the chemicals in dust harm your health
Many of the chemicals that scientists have found in dust are endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), meaning they hijack, mimic or interfere with hormones in the body's endocrine system in ways that can have serious health repercussions.
These chemicals, along with other particles present in the environment, adhere to indoor dust. 'Dust is an incredible reservoir for chemicals in the home—chemicals that can stay there for years,' says Robin Dodson, an exposure scientist at Silent Spring Institute, based in Newton, Massachusetts.
And because these chemicals end up in the dust in the air, on the floor and on other surfaces in our homes, they end up inside our bodies when we inhale them, ingest them, or absorb them through our skin.
(Microplastics are also in our bodies. How much do they harm us?)
'Most of the dust you breathe in goes into the back of the throat and into the stomach where it's digested,' says Gabriel Filippelli, a professor and executive director of the Indiana University Environmental Resilience Institute in Indianapolis.
In the short term, exposure to these chemicals can lead to respiratory irritation and flareups of allergies or asthma, research has found. Over the long haul, exposure to some of these EDCs has been linked with an increased risk of certain reproductive problems (such as endometriosis in women and reduced semen quality in men), various forms of cancer, obesity, type 2 diabetes, thyroid problems, liver and kidney disease, and neurologic and developmental disorders such as attention deficit disorder.
The exact mechanisms behind these health effects vary, but they do have a few things in in common: Depending on the timing and dose of exposure, EDCs can interfere with the body's endocrine system in ways that can affect how cells and organs develop or function, explains Shanna Swan, a reproductive epidemiologist and a professor of environmental medicine and climate science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. These changes can in turn raise the risk of developing health problems and developmental disorders. Who is most at risk from dust?
The threshold for how much exposure to these chemicals in dust is too much may depend on people's underlying health status and personal susceptibility, experts say.
'Children are more highly exposed to dust because of their size and because they sit on the floor and often have a lot of hand-to-mouth activity,' says Dodson. They're also especially vulnerable because their brains and bodies are still developing
That's why exposure to lead-contaminated household dust—typically from lead paint, which was banned in 1978 but often persists in older homes—is such a concern for young kids; exposure to lead can permanently affect young children's brain development.
Pregnant women are also at potentially increased risk because some of these chemicals—particularly EDCs such as phthalates—can affect a fetus' reproductive development in the womb, says Swan, author of Count Down: How Our Modern World Is Threatening Sperm Counts, Altering Male and Female Reproductive Development, and Imperiling the Future of the Human Race. Older adults and anyone with a chronic disease such as heart or lung disease also could be more susceptible to health harms from these chemicals, Stoiber says. How to get rid of dust in your home—without spreading it
Some irritants and chemicals in household dust come in from outside. But some are generated within your walls—released from carpets, furniture, flooring, drapes, vinyl shower curtains, electronic devices (including TVs and computers), air fresheners and other household items. Some of these chemicals also are released from paint, vinyl flooring, cleaning products and personal care products such as fragrances and moisturizers.
'Whatever products you bring into the home, the chemicals [they contain] don't stay in those products—they get shed out and migrate into the dust in your home,' Stoiber explains.
(Is a shoe-free home really better? Scientists may have an answer.)
One of your best weapons against household dust is a vacuum with a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, which captures small particles, Dodson says. Vacuum your home at least once a week, and be sure to use special attachments and brushes to get to hard-to-reach places like under couch cushions, in corners of the room, and the tracks of sliding doors and windows. (Remember to change the filter regularly to keep it operating well.)
It also can help to use a high-quality furnace filter, Filippelli says. Be sure to change it every one to three months, depending on your household conditions.
Some experts recommend using portable air cleaners with a HEPA filter, as well. A study in a 2022 issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that using a portable HEPA air cleaner significantly reduces indoor particulate matter, including the major air pollutants in both outdoor and indoor environments. Avoid air purifiers with ionizers or ozone generators because these release harmful chemicals that can be absorbed by dust, Pollitt says.
Keep in mind that 'use of certain cleaning products can exacerbate these [toxic] issues because the chemicals migrate into the air,' says Krystal Pollitt, an associate professor of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health. Carpet shampoos, all-purpose household cleaners, window- and wood-cleaning products, stain removers and disinfectants all may contain EDCs or other harmful chemicals. Consider upgrading your choice of cleaning products to greener or less harmful products.
When it comes to dusting surfaces, it's best to use a slightly damp cotton rag or a microfiber cloth with soap and water, water and vinegar, or water and baking soda. Dust will adhere to a damp cloth more readily than a dry one.
If you use a furniture spray, spray the cleaner onto a cloth or sponge first, rather than spraying the furniture directly, so that dust doesn't get airborne. Remember, too, that a 'feather duster is problematic because it re-suspends dust to the point where we ingest it,' says Filippelli. The same is true of sweeping floors, so it's better to use a damp mop, rather than a broom.
Wash kids' hands before they eat and wash their toys regularly, especially those that end up on the floor, Dodson says.
Eliminating dust in your home may be impossible but these strategies can help you reduce the amount of potentially harmful dust—and every step you take can make a difference. As proof, consider this: One study found that after just a week of increased hand washing and cleaning to reduce household dust, people cut their exposure to flame retardants in half.
