What is household dust comprised of by percentage?

Question

I have been told that it is 75% human skin. Is that true?

Answer 1

The dust which collects in houses is composed of atmospheric dust combined with dust generated by the inhabitants, mostly from sloughed skin cells and fibers from clothing and coverings. It can be removed with a broom, dusting cloth, vacuum cleaner or by a swipe of one's hand.

A variety of technology has been developed for the purpose of removing accumulated dust in the house. The air filter is frequently used on inlet of the air ducts to trap dust. These can be supplemented by air purifiers, including devices that employ ionization to trap dust particles. Accumulated dust is collected by means of devices such as dusters and vacuum cleaners.

House dust mites, often found in fibers like carpets and beds, feed on the organic components of house dust. Their feces, in turn, become part of house dust and can provoke allergic reactions in humans.

Answer 2

Yes, 75% is approximately correct.

Dust is comprised of various "icky" things such as: human skin and hair, waxes, pollen, mold, fungi, lichen, tiny particles of wood, paint, fibers from fabrics such as wool, nylon, rayon,
acrylic, foam rubber, sheet rock, plant and vegetable matter, insect parts, rodent dander, rodent droppings, insect droppings and of course every form of pollution such as auto and industrial emissions, heavy hydrocarbon waste from your oil or gas heater, even tiny bits of metal debris from door hinges or any place where metal and friction meet, lots of food waste, and loads of paper fiber...

It all depends on where you live and what is in your house (birds, dogs, cats, etc.) if you want to know exact percentages.

Makes you wanna go dust, huh? :-)

Answer 3

I heard that too. The rest is supposedly dust mites and dust mite droppings. Ewwwwww.