BETA
Chapter 1
An accidental birth in the desert
Chapter 2
The glamorous desert playground
Chapter 3
The unfolding ecological crisis
Chapter 4
The toxic dust and public health
Chapter 5
The rise of Lithium Valley and clean energy
YOUR GOAL
Master of The Salton Sea
Ch 4 · The toxic dust and public health
marcus Dodge toxic dust storms to learn how the vanishing Salton Sea affects local health.
marcus Salton Sea Toxic Dust
Sea is shrinking, dust is blowing, harming lungs and children growing.
marcus Local communities, particularly children, suffer from exceptionally high rates of respiratory illnesses.
marcus Decades of agricultural runoff left pesticide residues and heavy metals trapped in the lakebed mud.
Fun Fact
Smelly winds: The odor of decaying organic matter from the Salton Sea has occasionally been smelled over 150 miles away in Los Angeles.
Glossary
asthma (noun)
A chronic respiratory condition characterized by breathing difficulties, coughing, and wheezing. A landmark 2026 study confirmed that proximity to the drying lake fuels asthma and stunts children's lung growth.
A chronic respiratory condition characterized by breathing difficulties, coughing, and wheezing. A landmark 2026 study confirmed that proximity to the drying lake fuels asthma and stunts children's lung growth.
Quiz
Which toxic metalloid, naturally occurring but concentrated by agricultural runoff, is found in the exposed Salton Sea dust?
Quiz
Which banned historic pesticide is still found in the sediment of the Salton Sea due to decades of farm runoff?
Quiz
What is the scientific term for the dry, exposed lakebed left behind as the Salton Sea shrinks?
Quiz
What is the primary weather event that carries toxic dust from the Salton Sea into nearby communities?
Quiz
How many acres of dry playa have been exposed as the Salton Sea has receded in recent decades?
Quiz
Which chronic respiratory illness affects children in the Imperial Valley at double the California state average?