  Aims. We investigate the role of photo-evaporation of dust exposed to the
radiation field from hot young stars and planetary nebulae (PNe) as a possible
destruction mechanism of dust grains in the interstellar medium (ISM). Methods.
We estimate photo-evaporation induced by the feedback of individual or
clustered young stars, of PNe and in the presence of a variable radiation field
scaled with the interstellar radiation field. For PNe we investigate dust
photo-evaporation of both dust grains already present in the ISM as well as
those formed in the last phases of the evolution of thermally pulsing
asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) stars. We include dust photo-evaporation rate
in models of dust evolution in galaxies for different assumptions of the dust
growth scenario, dust-to-gas ratios, star formation histories, and initial mass
functions of the stars. Results. For all the cases considered, we find that
both photo-evaporation from young stars and from PNe are negligible with
respect to other dust removal processes such as destruction from supernovae
shocks, astration and possibly outflow. Grains are stable against
photo-evaporation if they are exposed to a radiation field which is up to 10^7
times the interstellar radiation field. Conclusions. Dust grains of size >=
0.01 microns are not efficiently destroyed by photo-evaporation also in the
presence of a strong radiation field.
