gritty wind

los angeles weather is the weather of catastrophe, of apocalypse, and, just as the reliably long and bitter winters of new england determine the way life is lived there, so the violence and the unpredictability of the santa ana affect the entire quality of life in los angeles, accentuate its impermanence, its unreliability. the wind shows us how close to the edge we are. /joan didion

via wiki: the adverse pulmonary health impacts have been understood by local doctors for decades; the winds pick up and transmit grit, dust, pollens, mold spores and other irritants and allergens for considerable distances. Gastrointestinal effects such as hypermotility and psychological effects such as anxiety and irritability can be produced by these winds. these effects are thought to be produced by increased levels of serotonin in the body. it has been hypothesized that the positively charged CO2 ion, produced by these winds prevents the naturally occurring breakdown of serotonin in the body, giving rise to the increased levels. these serotonergic effects have been reported to be successfully reduced with ambient anionization.


Residents regularly notice a build-up of dust in their homes and grit on their properties during these periods, which are frequent during the winter.


The winds also create positive ions which affects people's mood negatively, and statistics shows increases the number of suicides and homicides.