I've never heard that paint creates dust. What I DO know creates more dust in the bathroom is the t-paper, Kleenex, body/face powders, loose powder makeups like mineral makeup, eyeshadow, blush.
Monica

Is it possible the dust is simply more visible in the bathroom?

#1. What monicakm said.

#2. What graywings said.

I just came on to post a dust thread and here yours is! I agree with the others, especially about the paper. I've just been noticing that my paper towels (Brawny) create a cloud of dust when torn, or waved around a bit. Am wanting to find some that might be dust free. So you might look into whatever paper products you're using in there.

Read on wikipedia.com under "dust" that (eeuuu) it comes partly from our dead skin cells, hair, etc. Probably a lot of that in a bathroom. Dust mites (double eeuuu) feed off this organic dust and in turn they create their own dust in the form of feces and something else I didn't quite understand. Hairdryers probably blow it around a lot.

Attached is the wikipedia article. DH and I got a good laugh out of "control of domestic dust" which included suggestions of: dusting, sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming. Gee, what a novel idea huh?

Read another article and though I am not into the dust mite/allergy thing, the info was interesting. Here's the link:
http://www.achooallergy.com/dustmiteallergy.asp?gclid=CJCjy_uprpcCFQhsgwod2Sx0jA

Maybe your fan is sucking in. Is this the master bath? My problem is my master bedroom being very dusty and what I researched told me why -- lots of textiles. So if this is next to the MBR probably that is coming in and maybe as you suspect the fan is sucking it in. Also bath towels have a lot. Give them a shake and see what comes off. I got some hand towels at Tuesday Morning once, I think they were made in Pakistan, and noticed that every time I folded them (I fold on my dark cherry DR table) there was a little rectangle of gritty-linty-dust on the table.

Hope that helps and if you happen to know of a dust-free paper towel, please let me know.

Here is a link that might be useful: wikipedia: dust

I second the comment about the toilet paper. In my old bathroom, the fine dust was terrible. A friend suggested that I switch TP and it really cut down on the dust significantly. In my new bathroom, the toilet is in it's own separate area, and I've noticed that (just yesterday, in fact) the dust is much worse in that little room than it is in the rest of the bathroom.

It is the toilet paper. Just buy, cheaper TP. I clean 4 a living and the 1 house had spoken to me about the dust 2 days after I had cleaned. This is only a powder room and they have all of PR done in black. She purchased the cheaper TP 4 that room and she has had no problem after that. Her other 4 bathrooms R fine as they R lighter in color and U can't see it.

Thank you all for the education! I will try the cheaper TP. The dust does seem to be worst on the toilet tank which is right next to the roll dispenser. Thing is - I thought I was buying the cheapest! Can anyone tell me what the cheapest brands are? Generic?

Funny thing is too, DBF has already complained about the cheap, one-ply stuff. When I start with the REAL cheap stuff he'll probably say, "Now, that's better."

Even towels give off tons of dust. Did you ever look at your dryer filter after drying a load of towels? Dusty! is not the word!

We've used Scott toilet tissue ever since we got married because when I figured it out way back then on a very small budget, it was the best buy. Not so sure about that now, but as far as I can tell it does not give off a lot of dust. It's rather compactly "woven". Also, we like it. We get the original one (they have a new "softer" one, which I don't like. Too thick, also dusty.)