Articles | Volume 26, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-1321-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-1321-2026
Research article
 | Highlight paper
 | 
27 Jan 2026
Research article | Highlight paper |  | 27 Jan 2026

Emerging Mineral Dust Source in ’A’ą̈y Chù’ Valley, Yukon, Canada Poses Potential Health Risk via Exposure to Metal and Metalloids Enriched in PM10 and PM2.5 Size Fractions

Arnold R. Downey, Alisée Dourlent, Daniel Bellamy, James King, and Patrick L. Hayes

Viewed

Total article views: 2,125 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
HTML PDF XML Total Supplement BibTeX EndNote
1,922 149 54 2,125 56 42 39
  • HTML: 1,922
  • PDF: 149
  • XML: 54
  • Total: 2,125
  • Supplement: 56
  • BibTeX: 42
  • EndNote: 39
Views and downloads (calculated since 14 Aug 2025)
Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 14 Aug 2025)

Viewed (geographical distribution)

Total article views: 2,125 (including HTML, PDF, and XML) Thereof 2,085 with geography defined and 40 with unknown origin.
Country # Views %
  • 1
1
 
 
 
 
Latest update: 27 Jan 2026
Download
Executive editor
Atmospheric dust is changing in response to human impacts on climate and hydrology. This paper investigates airborne dust originating from sediments associated with a retreating glacier in Canada, and finds a composition enriched in various metals and metaloids. While the primary focus of this paper is on local health impacts, there may also be wider implications for aerosol-cloud interactions and biogeochemical cycles, should this phenomenon prove to be widespread in response to climate change.
Short summary
Glacial sediment of the ’A’ą̈y Chù’ Valley in Yukon, Canada is exposed to strong winds, and consequently, has become a significant mineral dust source. Mineral dust is known to have an impact on human health, partly due to various metals it contains, with the size of the particles also being an important factor. The goal of this study was to determine the concentration of various metals in the dust, how this relates to dust size, and whether air quality standards were surpassed.
Share
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint