The scenario reads more like apocalyptic science fiction than reality. The Great Salt Lake recedes and an ecological disaster, fanned by the wind, hits the Wasatch Front. But it’s not fiction. A team of graduate students at Utah State University is measuring airborne dust from the exposed lake bed as the water retreats, and some of that dust is laden with toxins.

“When strong winds blow across the lake bed, polluted dust can be lofted into suspension and transported into ecosystems and urban areas along Utah’s Wasatch Front,” said Molly Blakowski, a graduate student at USU’s Watershed Sciences Department and one of the project’s researchers.

As the iconic landmark, and once big-time recreation destination, becomes more parched, what impacts will carry past the shoreline? While that dust could lead to worse air quality year-round, Blakowski pointed out that the health impacts are unknown.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Read further from the source