The storm that covered Beijing a few days ago with a brown-orange color was not sandy, that is, one that carries sand particles, but it was a dust storm.
This may sound like a trivial change that only matters to geologists, but the particle size plays a big role in the health of the inhabitants.
Sand particles are particles larger than 0.06 mm in diameter, and dust particles are smaller, lighter, and can travel far, far away. The wind will not send the sand so easily over long distances, ie hundreds of kilometers, while the dust will spread much more easily all over the world, Telegrafi reports.
Particles smaller than 10 micrometers, and especially those smaller than 2.5 micrometers, pose a serious threat to human health because they are small enough to end up in our lungs.
