University of California – Merced
“Idled farmland and dust are particularly concentrated in Kern, Fresno and Kings counties, where annual crops such as wheat, corn, and cotton are fallowed as part of agricultural practices or a combination of water and economic decisions,” said Abatzoglou, a climatologist in the Department of Management of Complex Systems in the School of Engineering. “When fields are unplanted, wind erosion can create dust.”
Dust can be laced with chemicals and pathogens that cause severe respiratory illnesses or death. For example, Valley fever, caused by a fungus, relies on dust to spread. Particulate matter has also been linked to various forms of dementia, cardiovascular problems, COPD, asthma, and perhaps surprisingly, longer and more painful menstrual cycles. Vulnerable groups disproportionately bear these health impacts. …
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