Alaska Native Village Air Quality Fact Sheet Series
Road Dust
EPA 910-F-10-005 August 2010
United States Environmental Protection Agency Region 10
What is in road dust?
Road dust is earthen material or dirt that becomes airborne, pri-
marily by the friction of tires moving on unpaved dirt roads and
dust-covered paved roads. It consists mainly of coarse particles,
which in some cases may be contaminated with man-made and
naturally-occurring pollutants such as asbestos, mining by-prod-
ucts, animal and human waste, snow and ice control applications
(salts) and engine oil.
How does airborne dust affect health?
Road dust is made of coarse particles that can aggravate heart or
lung-related conditions such as asthma when inhaled through
the nose and mouth. Although coarse particles do not go as deep
into the lungs as fine particles, they can still have adverse impacts
to susceptible individuals. Sensitive individuals or people with
respiratory conditions can reduce their health risks by staying
indoors or away from dirt roads when there are dry conditions
with significant traffic or wind.
When berries and drying fish that are exposed to airborne dust,
people eat it with the subsistence foods. Food exposed to road
dust should be rinsed before it is eaten.
Why is road dust a major concern in
rural Alaska?
In most Alaska Native Villages, there are many dirt roads and
even paved roads are often covered with dust. This dust becomes
airborne during dry and windy conditions, particularly when the
dust is disturbed by vehicles. Homes in rural villages are often
built right next to roads without vegetation (lawn, shrubbery or
gardens) to buffer the houses from dust made airborne by traffic.
What is the most common cause of
road dust?
All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) or "four-wheelers" are the most com-
mon cause of road dust in. Their knobby tires tear up and disturb
dirt roads and increase the amount of dust that becomes airborne
to be inhaled or deposited on subsistence foods.
Reducing vehicle speed on dry days will reduce the amount of
road dust in the air. Sensitive individuals should remain indoors
and limit outdoor activities during periods of airborne dust.
Tips for Redwing
Road Dust
Reduce driving and vehicle
speeds, especially
four-wheelers.
Water roads in dry weather.
Grade and gravel roads.
Apply chemical dust
suppressants, if safe
for community and
environment.
All terrain vehicles and four-
wheelers stir up road dust.
Other ANV Air
Fa€t Sheets
• Diesel Fuel Use
• Indoor Air
• Solid Waste Burning
• Wood Smoke
For these fact sheets and
related videos, visit:
www.epa.gov/regionlO/
tribal/air/alaska. html
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How can communities
reduce road dust?
Reduced vehicle speeds
Villages can enact tribal ordinances to reduce
speed limits. Villages can also educate villagers
about the health effects of road dust and post signs
warning drivers to drive slowly during the dry
season. Either or both methods are very low cost
remedies and can be quite effective if drivers un-
derstand why it helps protect the health of children
and elders to limit speeds and obey the ordinances
or speed warnings. Communities can take action
to discourage the use of ATVs or to reduce their
speed during the driest days of the summer season.
High winds can also generate dust from dirt roads,
airstrips, or other disturbed terrain.
Graded roads with gravel or water
Gravel can effectively reduce dust emissions from
dirt roads if applied to a properly prepared road
on an annual basis. This option can be moderately
expensive because of the costs of road preparation
and obtaining and placing the gravel with heavy
equipment. It is important to know the content of
the gravel applied to prevent contamination with
naturally occurring pollutants, such as asbestos.
Road watering can also be effective in reducing
road dust as long as the watering is carried out
frequently during the dry season. This option is
moderately expensive and would include the cost
of maintenance and operation of a water applica-
tor. Common applicators are either a truck or a
trailer sprayer that can be pulled by a four-wheeler
or truck.
Chemical Dust Suppressants
Commercial dust suppressors, such as calcium
chloride or magnesium chloride, are substances de-
signed to bind to road dust and reduce the amount
of dust that becomes airborne.
These suppressants would have to be applied any-
where from a couple times per year to once every
2-3 years to be effective. This option would likely
be the most expensive and would include the cost
of the chemical, its transport to the community
Region 10 Contacts:
Mary Manous, (206) 553-1059
Manous.Mary@epa.gov
EPA Region 10 main number: (800) 424-4372
and the cost of operating the equipment needed to
apply the chemicals on the dirt roads.
Some chemical suppressants have corrosive or
other undesirable impacts on equipment or the en-
vironment. Communities should investigate these
impacts prior to purchase and use.
ANVs can take action to reduce road dust.
How can an ANV take action?
• Recruit partners and stakeholders (Tribal
council, village elders, schools, regional and
village corporations, transportation departments,
environmental staff, borough managers,
clinics, businesses, etc.) to develop a strategy
for controlling road dust. Stakeholders can
also help provide education about road dust
pollution and mitigation to their constituents.
• Learn from other Alaskan Native Villages, or
state/local agencies such as the Alaska Depart-
ment of Transportation and universities, about
what they have done to control road dust. Find
out what methods were most successful in ad-
dressing the problem. Make recommendation
to appropriate community leaders and get nec-
essary approvals to seek financial or technical
support, if necessary. Identify possible sources
of funding to help implement the road dust
control strategies, such as the Bureau of India
Affairs Indian Reservations Roads (BIA IRR)
Program.
Learn more on the web
EPA Road Dust Control:
www.epa.gov/owow/NPS/gravelroads/sec4.pdf
Alaska Department of Environmental
Conservation:
www. dec. alaska.gov/air/anpms/pm/dust. htm
BIA Indian Reservations Roads Program:
www.bia.gov/WhoWeAre/BIA/OIS/Transportation/IRR/index.htm
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