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The term "dust" describes a complex physical-chemical mixture of airborne, liquid or solid particles. These are also referred to as PM (English: particulate matter) and generally as particles in German.
particulates with smaller particles can penetrate even deeper into the respiratory tract. Therefore, since 2015, the annual limit value of 25 μg/m³ in outdoor air set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has also applied to particulates PM₂,₅ (particles with a diameter of less than 2.5 μm) in living spaces as an assessment value.
So far, there are no standardised measurement methods for even smaller particulates particles of the PM₁ category, which is why there is still no legal limit value for these particularly dangerous particles - because 100 % of them reach the alveoli. Particles this small are also referred to as ultra-particulates .
The exact assessment of the health effects of particulates is difficult due to its inconsistent composition. However, it is generally assumed that particulates is harmful to health. In contrast to other pollutants, there are no real limit values for the concentration of particulate matter.
Natural emissions (e.g. from soil erosion, oceans, volcanoes, forest and bush fires) and biogenic particles (e.g. viruses, spores of fungi and bacteria, pollen drift, excretions of house dust mites) are considered to be particularly frequent particulates sources. However, man-made air pollution is without doubt the main cause of particulates.
