Ecuca residents affected by dust from unsealed roads are pleased a treatment to reduce the dust has been applied.
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Ryan Bellingham
Over the past two years, airborne dust has been noticeably settling on and inside Frank Cianni’s and his neighbour’s houses.
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Generated by cars travelling on Bowen St and Pakenham St in Echuca, the dust became an issue for residents following flood recovery works on the roads in 2023.
The roads were among those used for the construction of a controversial levee during the October 2022 floods.
While the dust is irritating day-to-day, Mr Cianni was concerned about the amount of dust being deposited in his evaporative cooling vents, drawing it into his home.
Mr Cianni said he realised just how much was in the vents after removing a grate while painting an upstairs room.
A grate and filter from Mr Cianni’s house caked in dust.
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Supplied
“The amount of dust in the pipe that comes up the duct was unbelievable. It was an inch thick,” he said.
“That dust is getting airborne ... as soon as we turn the evaporative cooler on, we’re breathing this stuff. It’s bloody horrible.”
Residents in the area have purchased air filtration devices to run in their homes, and regularly clean their vehicles and properties, including rooftop solar panels.
“We’ve got a big air purifier in the house. We have to have that running 24/7 for the amount of dust that comes in the house,” Mr Cianni said.
“Some of the residents have two or three in their house.”
Following resident feedback, Campaspe Shire Council applied a dust suppressant to Bowen St and Pakenham St, among others, on Wednesday, February 12.
It was a win for Mr Cianni and his neighbours, who have recognised the roads needed attention for some time.
In December 2023, Mr Cianni attended a meeting at the council, where he asked a councillor to consider the suppressant.
A truck driving down Bowen St and turning into Pakenham St in December, leaving a trail of dust in its wake.
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Supplied
Above all, he supported the dust suppressant out of concern for the potential health impacts of continually breathing in the dust.
Monash University senior research fellow and respiratory physician Dr Ryan Hoy said inhalation of any dust was potentially harmful to the respiratory system.
“Repeated exposure to road dust could certainly lead to aggravation of pre-existing airways conditions, such as asthma and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease),” he said.
Dr Hoy endorsed applying dust suppression, and said the most effective way to protect people from dust exposure was to stop it being generated at its source.
“Managing road dust suppression can certainly be complex but is crucial when there are people at risk of significant exposure,” he said.
Mr Cianni also learned that quartz, which is composed of crystalline silica, is present in the road material.
When material containing silica is worked on, extremely small silica dust particles can be produced, which can inflame the lungs and lead to silicosis if breathed in.
Dr Hoy said it was unlikely most dust particles from unsealed roads would be small enough to cause silicosis, and testing would be needed to determine any risks.
“Analysis of dust samples are required to understand the level of risk associated with a dust, such as the amount of silica and the size of the particles,” he said.
The suppressant is expected to last for around six months, although other Victorian councils have estimated similar treatments are effective for half that amount of time, depending on traffic and weather conditions.
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