Fugitive gypsum dust deposition on a neighboring wildlife refuge, Antioch Dunes, California, USA.

Fugitive dust emissions play an important role in urban air quality. Much research on fugitive dust's effects has focused on human health and societal impacts, with limited work investigating effects on other species. The endangered butterfly is endemic to the Antioch Dunes, a small area on the south bank of the San Joaquin River in northern California, largely protected as a National Wildlife Refuge.