Is house dust mostly dead skin?


No, apparently it is not.

There are far more common sources of dust pollutants, including animal dander, sand, insect waste, flour (in the kitchen), and of course lots of good, old-fashioned dirt.



Your skin is, however, a zoo of microbes,


Human skin teems with a zoo of strange microbes in colonies that are nearly unique from person to person and many of which are practically unknown to science, new research finds. Some of the bugs are permanent residents, while others come and go. . . .

Nearly three-fourths of the total microbial species were unique to individual subjects, and only four of the species dwelled on all subjects.

The body-specific findings suggest each individual provides a unique habitat for microbes. "This is a surprise," said lead researcher Zhan Gao of New York University’s School of Medicine. “But many things affecting the skin affect bacteria, such as the weather, exposure to light, and cosmetics use."