Yard not swept yet? Read this before you start to avoid a serious risk to your health

Spring will come, ready or not. For many, sunny weather means cleaning up sand and gravel and other dust that has accumulated in the yard over the winter.

Senior Environmental Specialist Suvi Haaparanta from the City of Helsinki’s Urban Environment Division reminds readers that the area to be swept should always be watered first, so that street dust does not rise into the air and get into the respiratory tract of the sweeper and others nearby.

“Under no circumstances should you use a leaf blower for this. Helsinki’s environmental protection regulations prohibit using it to remove sand used for anti-slipping purposes over the winter, and the same applies in many other cities,” Haaparanta says.

Street dust is particularly harmful to people with asthma, coronary heart disease or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, for example, but people without any underlying medical conditions can also get symptoms from street dust.

Street dust is an everyday nuisance, especially for people living in urban areas, but it can be found in smaller towns, too. Street dust is generated when car tyres – especially studded tyres – grind asphalt and gravel into small particles that are then blown into the air by traffic and wind.

Responsibility on housing companies

According to Haaparanta, different cities and towns may have different guidelines for combating street dust. In Helsinki, the City takes care of cleaning the driving lanes in the spring, but housing companies also bear much of the responsibility, especially in the city centre.

“Sand usually ends up under car tyres from the pedestrian lanes, the maintenance of which is the responsibility of housing companies in the Helsinki city centre,” Haaparanta points out.

According to Haaparanta, it is the responsibility of properties to remove the sand and transport it away properly. Before the City washes down the driving lanes, the sand can be swept along onto the side of the car lanes.

“Signs along the streets requesting that people move their cars are a good final reminder that spring street cleaning is just around the corner. However, as a general rule, properties should ensure that street sand is properly removed as soon as the weather turns warmer.

Haaparanta says that updated guidelines for housing companies on how to combat street dust will be published in the autumn..

Street dust is generated all year round

Street dust is prevalent and is mostly talked about in spring, but in reality street dust is already being generated during autumn and winter, according to Nelli Kaski, an air protection specialist at HSY.

Climate change may lead to more street dust as the constant temperature fluctuations on both sides of zero degrees increases slipperiness and thus the need for spreading sand on the streets.

Another crucial factor is the volume of traffic and car tyres: studded tyres are much harsher on asphalt and gravel than friction tyres, grinding them into smaller particles, and are therefore a major source of street dust.

According to Kaski, the dustiest times of the day are usually the morning and afternoon rush hours, but street dust is also very prevalent at other times of the day on the dustiest days. 

In March 2025, there were a total of 17 dusty days exceeding the limit value in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area and the rest of Uusimaa.

How can you protect yourself from street dust?

“By moving away from areas with a lot of street dust. Air quality will be better even just a block away from a busy street. Of course, it is not always possible to get away, so you can use a respirator mask if you are able to use one and comfortable with it,” says Kaski.

Text: Matti Tuomela, Mellakka