Many rural towns in the United States are experiencing health problems due to dust floating up from unpaved roads. With the proper precautions and use of the right products, these incidents can be avoided all together.
In the small town of Greenville, Alabama, citizens are growing dissatisfied with the state of their unpaved roads. While this may not sound like front page news, many will be surprised to hear that some of the roads in Greenville can pose serious hazards to the health of nearby residents.
An article from the Greenville Advocate tells the story of local resident Frank Musser, who claims that the limestone gravel laid in front of his house has negatively impacted his breathing and overall health.
“I’ve got emphysema I never had before,” said Musser. “And I spent a night in the Troy emergency room.”
Unfortunately, Musser’s situation is not an isolated incident. Poor dust control is an issue that can lead to serious consequences if not properly addressed.
Pesky Particles
About a year before the limestone problems in Greenville, the residents of Linn County, Iowa were experiencing some frustrating dust complications of their own, as kcrg.com reports. After a period of very little rain, the local gravel roads began generating so much debris that drivers became distracted. Multiple car accidents in the area were attributed to “dust clouds that blinded drivers.”
Another similar example comes from the borough of Waterford in northern Pennsylvania, as Erie News Now details. In 2014, the deterioration of a five-year-old project began generating dust that residents feared “could contain silica and hexavalent chromium,” both of which are known carcinogens. Like the events in Greenville, many locals complained of newly-developed health issues and frequent shortness of breath.
The response to residents’ complaints was an additional layer of gravel over the existing dirt roads, a solution that one citizen referred to as “a band-aid on top of a band-aid.”
But in a situation where the health of citizens is concerned, a band-aid is simply not enough. The potential hazards of dust need to be taken seriously, and controlled with trusted and reliable products.
Dust Control by Midwest
When it comes to dust, Midwest Industrial Supply, Inc. understands the dangers of leaving unpaved roads unchecked. The company has devoted over forty years to developing state-of-the-art technologies in the field of dust control, and their wide selection of products offers years of proven results for nearly any scenario.
Products such as the Dust Fyghter® LN100 are designed specifically to be low-cost and environmentally-friendly maintenance solutions for unpaved roads. Its unique formula binds together road surface particles to ensure that dust stays neatly packed where it belongs.
Check out Midwest’s extensive dust control product lineup today to find out how their years of experience can work for you.
(Image credit: Steve/flickr)
