1.2 million people are at risk from toxic dust due to the world's largest salt lake.

In recent years, scientists have been increasingly discussing the climate crisis looming over our planet. As a result, the world has faced unprecedented heatwaves and droughts, and experts believe that future extreme weather events will be even more devastating. Another indicator of climate change is the Great Salt Lake, which has now reached a record low level, according to SciTechDaily.

In 2022, researchers observed that the level of the Great Salt Lake, the largest in the Western Hemisphere, hit its negative record. Scientists anticipate that the lake's drying will lead to a range of problems, including:

• economic issues;
• environmental challenges;
• public health threats;
• toxic dust exposure.

A new study conducted by a team from Portland State University is regarded as the first peer-reviewed research assessing the quantitative factors leading to historically low water levels. The study’s authors also highlight that their findings provide valuable insights for predicting and managing future changes in the lake.

According to lead author Siiri Bigalk, the Great Salt Lake holds significant social and economic importance for the region. This body of water generates over $1.9 billion in annual economic revenue and serves as a vital feeding ground for millions of migratory birds, while also increasing snowfall in the Wasatch mountain range—home to 11 world-class ski resorts.

During the study, the team developed and applied a model simulating the lake's year-to-year changes due to water inflow. The model primarily focused on the effects of river runoff, precipitation, and evaporation from the lake.

Bigalk stated that they and their colleagues created a model that generates alternative scenarios in which only one of the inflow or outflow variables was altered. This approach allowed the scientists to isolate the relative contributions of river runoff, precipitation, and evaporation to the record low volume in 2022.

Previously, scientists believed that the historical minimum lake volume was linked to low inflow from three major tributaries due to a combination of drought, water diversion, and climate change. However, the results of this new research indicate that low inflow accounts for only two-thirds of the lake's volume reduction. The remaining losses, the scientists assert, were due to evaporation caused by higher temperatures. Particularly concerning is that as the planet warms, the impact of this factor is expected to increase.

The authors of the study assert that without the record heat in 2022, the lake's water level would not have been so low. Although river runoff is predominant, increased evaporation was necessary to reach the record low level. The researchers stated that the results suggest that increasing runoff could lead to a rapid recovery of volume in the short term, but with ongoing warming, evaporation is expected to cause additional long-term water loss.

Even more alarming is that the drying of the Great Salt Lake poses a health risk to 1.2 million people in the Salt Lake City area. Researchers note that the lake could become a source of toxic dust. As the lake dries up, its exposed bed may lead to an increase in dust events in the metropolitan area, impacting air quality for nearby residents.