Dirt is any matter considered unclean, especially when in contact with a person's clothes, skin, or possessions. In such cases, they are said to become dirty.
Common types of dirt include:
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Debris: scattered pieces of waste or remains
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Dust: a general powder of Organic matter or Mineral
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: foul matter such as excrement
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: a black, ingrained dust such as soot
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Soil: the mix of clay, sand, and humus which lies on top of bedrock. The term 'soil' may be used to refer to unwanted substances or dirt that are deposited onto surfaces such as clothing.
Etymology
The word
dirt first appears in
Middle English and was probably borrowed from the
Old Norse drit, meaning .
Exhibitions and studies
A season of artworks and exhibits on the theme of dirt was sponsored by the
Wellcome Trust in 2011. The centrepiece was an exhibition at the Wellcome Collection showing pictures and histories of notable dirt such as the great dust heaps at Euston and King's Cross in the 19th century and the Fresh Kills landfill which was once the world's largest landfill.
Cleaning
When things are dirty, they are usually cleaned with solutions like hard surface cleaner and other chemical solutions; much domestic activity is for this purpose—washing, sweeping, and so forth.
In a commercial setting, a dirty appearance gives a bad impression. An example of such a place is a restaurant. The dirt in such cases may be classified as temporary, permanent, and deliberate. Temporary dirt is streaks and detritus that may be removed by ordinary daily cleaning. Permanent dirt is ingrained stains or physical damage to an object, which requires major renovation to remove. Deliberate dirt is that which results from design decisions such as decor in dirty orange or grunge styling.
Disposal
As cities developed, arrangements were made for the disposal of trash through the use of waste management services. In the United Kingdom, the Public Health Act 1875 required households to place their refuse into a container that could be moved so that it could be carted away. This was the first legal creation of the
dustbin.
Health
Modern society is now thought to be more hygienic. Lack of contact with
in dirt when growing up is hypothesised to be the cause of the epidemic of
allergy such as
asthma.
The human
immune system requires activation and exercise in order to function properly and exposure to dirt may achieve this.
For example, the presence of
staphylococcus bacteria on the surface of the skin regulates the
inflammation which results from injury.
Even when no visible dirt is present, contamination by microorganisms, especially , can still cause an object or location to be considered dirty. For example, computer keyboards are especially dirty as they contain on average 70 times more than a lavatory seat.
People and animals may geophagia. This is thought to be caused by mineral deficiency and so the condition is commonly seen in pregnant women.
Neurosis
People may become obsessed by dirt and engage in fantasies and compulsive behaviour about it, such as making and consuming mud pies and pastries.
The source of such thinking may be genetic, as the emotion of
disgust is common and the location for this activity in the brain has been proposed.
See also
Further reading
External links
