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Summertime air quality in urban Utah has improved in recent years, partly because of good weather and partly because of public awareness.
The Utah Division of Air Quality said Monday its data from the 2010 ozone-pollution season showed the downward trend continued in the number of days when ozone topped federal limits and became unhealthy.
In Salt Lake and Davis counties, there were five "red" air-quality days, when ozone made the air unhealthy, and there were 18 "yellow" days, when high pollution threatened to become unhealthy. Similar declining trends could be seen since 2006 for all but one of the state's ozone 13 monitoring stations — the ozone tracker in Santa Clara, showed an uptick.
Cheryl Heying, director of DAQ thanked the public for its role in reducing ozone pollution by driving less and reducing the vehicle exhaust, which creates ozone pollution when it mixes with sunlight and heat.
"Although weather has a lot to do with the fact that we are seeing a decline in ozone," she said, "I do believe that the public has become more responsive and aware of the need to drive smarter on days when pollution builds."
Federal standards for ozone pollution allow 75 parts per billion of ozone in the air. Concentrations above that are considered unhealthy, especially for the very young and old; people with heart and lung problems; and those who work and play hard outdoors.
Smog, or ozone pollution, is created when summer heat and sunlight "cook" combustion chemicals and fumes. While some say you can see smog as a grimy cloud over Utah valleys, ozone pollution technically is colorless and odorless, so it can be building up without a visible haze.
Some people are sensitive to ozone and suffer chest pains, wheezing and asthma attacks even when pollution levels haven't reached the hazardous zone recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
But more and more studies show ozone also affects healthy, symptom-free people. Anyone breathing high-ozone air can suffer various inflammation responses — in the blood, breathing and heart function — that, in turn, lead to other health problems. Some studies have linked high ozone to heart attacks, strokes, cancer, even high failure rates for in vitro fertilization.
The state air-quality office issues daily forecasts about likely pollution levels. The information these forecasts provide make it possible for people to take measures to protect the air and to protect their own health from the harmful impacts of breathing high-ozone air.
Air-quality officials reported Monday that none of the 13 sites where ozone is monitored exceeded the federal limit this year, which is based on average readings over three years. In the 2007-2009 period, four sites topped the federal standard. In the 2006-2008 period, five locations were above allowable limits.
The readings potentially mean Utah will be able to fend off new ozone requirements that are expected to be announced in the next month or so. But if the standard gets any tougher, at least some Utah sites would likely face more pollution curbs, Heying said.
No doubt Utah's air quality has benefited from good weather, air-quality officials said. There were fewer three-digit temperature days than usual, they pointed out.
Kathy Van Dame, a member of the Utah Air Quality Board and policy coordinator for the Wasatch Clean Air Coalition, noted that pollution continues to be an issue for Utah citizens and businesses. "There's a building public awareness," she said, "that we do have some control over air quality."
fahys@sltrib.com The human factor
People appear to be having an impact on summertime pollution, according to the Utah Division of Air Quality. Here are some of the reasons:
Extensive public outreach by the air-quality office makes daily pollution forecasts available year-round.
Alerts are posted on highway signs on days that are likely to have pollution problems. They also are sent to the e-mail boxes of anyone who signs up for daily alerts at the Division of Air Quality's website.
Advocacy has gone a long way toward raising public awareness. Several groups in Utah have organized around air pollution in the past few years, including Breathe Utah, Utah Moms for Clean Air and the Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment.
To see the latest forecast and current conditions, visit airquality.utah.gov.