飘尘 (piāochén): airborne particulate matter

Meanings

1 airborne particulate matter
2 floating dust
3 atmospheric particles

Characters

飘

Examples

城市空气中含有大量飘尘。

Chéngshì kōngqì zhōng hányǒu dàliàng piāochén.

Urban air contains large amounts of floating dust.

口罩可以过滤一部分飘尘。

Kǒuzhào kěyǐ guòlǜ yī bùfèn piāochén.

Masks can filter out some airborne particulates.

Tips

usage

Environmental science term — refers to particles small enough to stay suspended in air (typically < 10 μm, similar to PM10). In casual speech most people just say 灰尘 (huīchén, 'dust'). 飘尘 is the precise word in pollution and air-quality reporting.