<p>If fine particulate matter as a pollutant from industrial or natural sources (e.g. a desert) can be such a cause for concern in terms of (further) desertification as well as health impacts, is there a reason why there does not appear to be much action to control or solve it?</p>

<p>For instance - you will sometimes see construction sites required to use a canopy and/or water to localize the spread of fine particulate matter to a particular site, and forestation projects can serve to anchor some land in the face of advancing desert boundaries - but such applications seem limited in their enforcement. </p>

<p>What more could be done to control and combat fine particulate matter (and perhaps avoid warmer, drier countries and regions from becoming dust bowls)?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-12T22:28:53.897Z
I think it's important to define what you mean by fine PM.  Dust (e.g. from construction or deserts) is not categorically "fine", but is "coarse" instead.  Also, you make it sound as if there are no controls for fine PM, but it is highly regulated in industry (at least in USA).  Current science stresses the importance of ultra-fine PM (less than 1 ug/m3), and the EPA no longer cares much about PM10... PM2.5 being the currently regulated particulate size bin.
f.thorpe
<desert><pollution><pm2.5><particulates><atmospheric-dust>
Fine particulate matter - Why the lack of attention? What can be done to tackle it?
Avestron
# Fine particulate matter - Why the lack of attention? What can be done to tackle it?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-05-15)

If fine particulate matter as a pollutant from industrial or natural sources (e.g. a desert) can be such a cause for concern in terms of (further) desertification as well as health impacts, is there a reason why there does not appear to be much action to control or solve it?

For instance - you will sometimes see construction sites required to use a canopy and/or water to localize the spread of fine particulate matter to a particular site, and forestation projects can serve to anchor some land in the face of advancing desert boundaries - but such applications seem limited in their enforcement.

What more could be done to control and combat fine particulate matter (and perhaps avoid warmer, drier countries and regions from becoming dust bowls)?

**Tags:** desert, pollution, pm2.5, particulates, atmospheric-dust

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I think it's important to define what you mean by fine PM.  Dust (e.g. from construction or deserts) is not categorically "fine", but is "coarse" instead.  Also, you make it sound as if there are no controls for fine PM, but it is highly regulated in industry (at least in USA).  Current science stresses the importance of ultra-fine PM (less than 1 ug/m3), and the EPA no longer cares much about PM10... PM2.5 being the currently regulated particulate size bin.  

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## 0 answers

