Settled House Dust

Accumulated dust on floors and surfaces.

48Moderate burden · out of 100

Cleaner swapHEPA vacuum + damp dusting; doormats

How this score is built

100Start
81.6Chemical hazard 4 × 4.6−18.4
61.2Everyday exposure 6 × 3.4−20.4
48Persistence 5 × 2.6−13, then rounded to 48
ModerateThe band48 sits in 40–59.

What each input rests on

The three ratings behind the score, and the studies each rests on
Input	Rating	Evidence
Chemical hazard	4/10	unsourced input
Everyday exposure	6/10	A meta-analysis of US indoor dust found phthalates, phenols, replacement flame retardants, fragrances and PFASs consistently present; several phthalates and flame retardants had the highest residential intakes. Consumer Product Chemicals in Indoor Dust: A Quantitative Meta-analysis of U.S. Studies · Environ Sci Technol 2016 DOI 10.1021/acs.est.6b02023 · PMID 27623734 · Abstract · read 2026-10-02
Persistence	5/10	unsourced input

Ratings are editorial. A study listed here supports the rating; it did not compute it. How the index is built

What this means for you

It scores as it does mainly because of how much everyday contact it involves. House dust concentrates flame retardants, PFAS and phthalates — a bigger everyday exposure route than most people realize. Regular HEPA vacuuming genuinely lowers it.

Evidence strength: strong

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