Undertaking such a monumental task is no easy feat. On November 18th at the College of Science’s Science @ Breakfast lecture, Perry shared the process and some of his remarkable findings.

“We have exposed more than 800 square miles of lake bed to the atmosphere. That lake bed has become a source of frequent dust events that are coming off the lake and moving into the surrounding communities,” Perry explained.

When a dust event occurs, both PM 10 and PM 2.5 particles are sent into the atmosphere. The PM 10 particles are larger, and about half of them end up in our lungs if inhaled. The PM 2.5 particles are smaller and mostly penetrate deep into our lungs.

One of the biggest issues Perry uncovered was the lack of robust data on the dust’s composition. Over two years, 145 days in the field and more than 2,300 miles of biking, Perry painstakingly sampled dust across the entire lakebed.

What he found was startling.

“Every arsenic measurement exceeded EPA regional screening levels by a factor of 10,” he said. Additionally, contaminants of potential concern such as lithium and the rare earth element lanthanum, as well as metals like copper, were found in abundance. Further research with Kerry Kelly, an associate professor of chemical engineering at the U, revealed that much of this dust is bioavailable, meaning that when you breathe it in, your body absorbs much of its contaminants too.

Clearly, action is needed. Perry points to Owens Lake in California — a terminal lake where inflows were redirected to Los Angeles in 1913, leading to severe dust storms. Unlike the Great Salt Lake, Owens Lake is protected by a robust dust monitoring network and costly dust control measures, including watering the lakebed and gravel lining. “So far, California has spent $2.5 billion and continues to spend $150 million annually,” Perry noted.

Utah’s Great Salt Lake, by contrast, is home to about 2.5 million people — far more than Owens Lake’s 25,000 — yet its dust monitoring network is only now being developed. Perry advocates for a nature-based solution: “We need to reduce our water usage in northern Utah by more than 30%. We need to reduce our water use by 30% just to make the lake stop shrinking and additional beyond that in order to add water.”

Water, when added back to the lakebed, helps heal dust hotspots by preventing dust from taking flight and polluting the air. While solving this issue will be difficult, Perry’s message is clear: “We know what we need to do.” With an improved dust monitoring network and reshaped water policies, Utah can create a healthier Great Salt Lake for its communities and ecosystems.

by Nathan Murthy

You can read other stories featuring Kevin Perry related to the Great Salt Lake here and here.

Science @ Breakfast is a lecture series that features U faculty sharing their latest, cutting-edge research - while enjoying a meal. If you would like to be invited to our next Science @ Breakfast, please consider a donation to the College of Science at https://science.utah.edu/giving.