ISTANBUL

Toxic dust from California’s shrinking Salton Sea is damaging the lung health of people living nearby, especially children, according to a new study.

The study, published in the journal American Thoracic Society, found concrete evidence that rising dust exposure from the Salton Sea is causing measurable lung damage in nearby children.

Researchers from the University of California, Irvine, tested the lung capacity of 500 children around age 10 by testing how much and how fast children could exhale to assess lung function, using state air quality data to estimate their exposure to dust from the Salton Sea.

The study found a clear link between declining lung function and proximity to the Salton Sea, with residents living closer showing wheezing and other respiratory issues similar to “dust bowl pneumonia” seen in the 1930s.

It is believed that the Salton Sea’s dust contains high levels of bacterial membrane fragments that act as potent endotoxins, likely fueled by excess nutrients in the lake.

Researchers stressed the urgent need for ongoing monitoring and targeted public health measures to protect children from air pollution around the Salton Sea.