Context :

Aims : We present a study to estimate the dust content in galaxy clusters .

Methods : This was done by using one the most complete existing catalogues of galaxy clusters based on Sloan Digital Sky Survey ( SDSS ) data and following two methods : the first one compares the colours of samples of galaxies in the background of clusters with those of galaxies in the field .
Using this method , we have explored clustercentric distances up to 6 Mpc .
The galaxies used in this first method were selected from the SDSS-DR9 , among those having reliable photometry and accurate estimation of photometric redshifts .
The results are largely independent of the galactic cut applied .
At \mid b \mid > 20 ^ { \circ } , the sample contains 56 985 clusters in the redshift range 0.05 < z < 0.68 ( the mean redshift is 0.30 ) and \sim 5.3 \times 10 ^ { 6 } galaxies .
The second method computes the contribution of dust in clusters of galaxies to the far infrared sky .
That is estimated indirectly by measuring the effect of clusters in the E ( B - V ) extinction map .

Results : Using the first method , we did not find any dependence with clustercentric distance in the colours of background galaxies .
As representative of the whole results , the surface integral of the excess of colour g - i in three rings centred in the clusters and with radius 0-1 , 0-2 , and 0-3 Mpc is -3.7 \pm 3.5 , +3.2 \pm 6.8 , and -4.5 \pm 10.1 milimag Mpc ^ { 2 } , respectively .
This allows us to constrain the mass of dust in the intracluster media , M _ { dust } < 8.4 \times 10 ^ { 9 } M _ { \odot } ( 95 % C. L. ) within a cluster radius of 3 Mpc .
With the second method , which averages the extinction of all clusters , we find a surface integral of the excess of colour g - i of 3.4 \pm 0.1 millimag Mpc ^ { 2 } .
From the extinction and redshift of each cluster , we obtain 0.13 Jy and ( 1.46 \pm 0.03 ) \times 10 ^ { 45 } erg s ^ { -1 } for the mean flux and luminosity at 100 \mu m. This is \sim 60 times the far infrared luminosity of a Milky Way-like galaxy .
By assumming similar properties for the dust , we can estimate a total dust mass per cluster of \sim 2 \times 10 ^ { 9 } M _ { \odot } , which is compatible with the hypothesis that the dust is within the spiral galaxies of a cluster .
Separating the clusters in 5 \times 5 bins in redshift and richness , we confirm previous findings of a clear increase in luminosity with a redshift that agrees with the trend expected from current models .

Conclusions :