Is the World at Risk from Deadly Dandruff?

While soot particles released by diesel cars have Germans worried about possible driving bans, people seem to be responsible for a completely different kind of air pollutant, according to Ruprecht Jaenicke of Mainz University.

"When you take off your clothes, you release a little cloud of human dust," he told German broadcaster Deutschlandfunk.

In addition to human skin particles -- dandruff included -- animal hair and decaying leaves also contribute to air pollution, according to Jaenicke. Acccording to his research, they make up as much as a quarter of the vast clouds of fine dust in the atmosphere.

Jaenicke said it's still unclear what effect the bio-pollutants might have on the world's climate, but added that dandruff should certainly be taken into consideration by researchers.