Americas biggest salt water lake sparks health concerns as experts find scary levels of toxic dust

The biggest salt water lake in the US has been drying up sparking health fears as a scary level of toxic dust spreads through Utah. 

Two recent studies have suggested a dangerous level of toxic dust is expanding throughout the Salt Lake Valley as the Great Salt Lake continues to have waxing and waning water levels, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. 

What we’re really concerned about here is an increase in the rate of cancer in people who would be exposed to this over a long period, University of Utah Professor Kevin Perry told The Tribune. 

Although the research doesnt say the sky is falling, and were all going to die, it does show concern, according to University of Utah Professor Kerry Kelly. 

Its definitely worth continuing to look at, she told The Tribune. 

The Great Salt Lake is a terminal lake, which means it receives runoff from a drainage basin in Northern Utah and three other states. The only way for the water to leave the lake is through evaporation. 

The studies found a scary amount of arsenic and other chemicals in the dust coming off the lake, which millions of residents are breathing in, according to The Tribune. 

Two recent studies have suggested a dangerous level of toxic dust is being spread through the Salt Lake Valley as the Great Salt Lake continues to have waxing and waning water levels

One of the studies suggest the dust coming off the lake is more dangerous than other dusts flying around the Valley and could pose as a dangerous health effect - despite the government saying the levels are fine. 

But research samples taken from the Weber River - which flows into the great lake - suggested there is a harmful level of toxins in the sediment. 

However, Utahs Division of Air Quality said the level in the settled dust as opposed to what a person inhales can be different, and their analysis of PM10 dust samples - which are smaller than a human hair - showed no increase in severity, according to The Tribune. 

But Kelly, Perry and fellow Utah Professor Diego Fernandez, believe more studies need to be done and done quickly.  

We really need to think about how to best create a sampling network that can capture all of these dust events so that we can know how frequent they are and how severe they actually are, Perry, who is known as Dr. Dust, told the outlet. 

What we’re really concerned about here is an increase in the rate of cancer in people who would be exposed to this over a long period, University of Utah Professor Kevin Perry. Diego Fernandez believes more studies need to doen to know the true extent of the toxicity

Although the research doesnt say the sky is falling and were all going to die, it does show concern, according to University of Utah Professor Kerry Kelly. Its definitely worth continuing to look at, she said 

The Great Salt Lake is an emerging dust source, Perry said, and his most recently study found that the sediments in the dust can become more bioavailable and potentially harmful if theyre breathed in, especially during a dust storm. 

We need to know the concentrations that people are actually breathing to know if theyre harmful or not, he said. 

Unfortunately, we don’t have that information, he said. 

Part of the reason scientists dont have access to that information is because monitoring systems arent in place to track PM10 particles, which the great lake mainly has. 

Despite the fact that Division of Air Quality allocated $275,000 for five new monitors, none of them have been installed, according to The Tribune. 

The government agency is in the process of placing the monitoring systems near major populated areas, but they do not have monitors that would most frequently capture dust from the Great Salt Lake, a spokesperson told The Tribune. 

The second study found similar results to Perrys study and looked for concentrations of copper, thallium, arsenic, mercury, lead and zinc, which can all be toxic at high levels. 

Cooper remained elevated compared to past studies. Arsenic was also significantly higher in the areas of Gilbert Bay to the west of Antelope Island, according to The Tribune. 

Thallium was also elevated, and lead and zinc were heightened in some areas. 

Scientists believe the best way to combat the toxic dust is to keep the lake filled with water to keep the sediment buried. 

They also believe that they need samplers of where the dust is going, like Syracuse and Ogden and Layton, Perry said. 

And Fernandez is insistent more studies need to be done to know the truth lengths of the toxic and how it will effect residents long-term.