Tegan Lengyel

Mrs. Jackie Burr, Instructor

English 2010, Section 7

28 March, 2017

Utahs Air Pollution

For those who don't live in Salt Lake City the word inversion may have no impact, but

for those who do, the inversion is something that Utahns deal with on a day to day basis. For

those who dont know what an inversion is or how it occurs, according to Salt Lake City's

government run website, inversions occur because the mountains surrounding the valley create a

bowl where cold air becomes trapped, due to the snow on the valley floor reflecting heat rather

than absorbing it. Once all this cold air is trapped, people go about their daily lives, all the

pollution they create cannot escape and this creates the inversion. The longer Utah go without a

storm the worse the inversion and air pollution will get. This can be particularly dangerous for

those who are young, elderly, or those who suffer from any respiratory complications. It is

important to educate not only ourselves, but others included as to what we can do ourselves and

as a community to lower the amount of air pollution we create every day.

Although breathing in air may not seem dangerous, on days when the air pollution is

really bad it can actually be extremely harmful for your heart and lungs. The pollution in Utah is

filled with PM, or particulate matter, which is extremely small and most dangerous for that

reason. PM can be put into two different categories, PM2.5 and PM10, the only difference being

the size of the particle, which are smaller than the width of a single human hair. This can be

referenced by the image located below. Regardless of the size, breathing in PM can put people at
 risk for not only lung complications

but it can put their heart at risk as

well, resulting in a number of

problems. People with heart failure,

or coronary heart disease are the

most at risk for further heart

complications due to the PM found

in Utah's inversions. On the other

hand people with asthma, lung disease, or COPD are most likely to encounter respiratory

complications with the pollutants found in the valley. It is important if you or a loved one are

known to have any of these preexisting conditions to monitor your local PM levels, all of which

are tracked on your state government's website. You can also reduce exposure by spending less

time in areas with high exposure, such as busy roads, avoid smoking indoors or being around

someone who is smoking indoors, and plan activities for low PM days. Some researchers have

also begun finding links in increased numbers of cancer cases and autism linked to the growing

air pollution problem. According to an article written by Wendy Leonard published in the

Deseret News, The World Health Organization has recently found smoggy air to be a cancer

causing agent. "There is no safe level of air pollution," said Dr. Brian Moench, an

anesthesiologist and president of the nonprofit advocacy group Utah Physicians for a Healthy

Environment this can be bad news for those who live in the state of Utah which has recently

been ranked as one of the worst states for air quality in the United States.
 It is also important to understand what a large difference it can make when not only we as

people, but large corporations can make when they work to lower the amount of air pollution

they produce on a day to day basis. In a recent interview conducted with airport manager Dave

Teggins, I asked him a few questions about what the airport does, as a large contributor to the air

pollution, to lower the amount they contribute on a daily basis. Teggins was a strong believer

that Utahns should be doing all they can to come together and make and difference in reducing

their level of emissions, as well as large businesses and corporations putting their heads together

to create new and innovative ways to reduce, save, and conserve for the future generations. Mr.

Teggins described a handful of the many precautions the airports take, including switching all

lightbulbs in the facility to LED bulbs, only using natural gas in the shuttles that operate on a

twenty four hour basis to bring passengers from location to location, cutting power usage by 10%

in the recent months, etc. Mr. Teggins said the Salt Lake City Department of Airports are apart

of the Rocky Mountain Solar Subscriber Program which allows them to buy into solar energy

thus creating less pollution and promoting businesses who are working toward a greener future.

Not only are airports doing their part, so is Utahs public transit companies. According to

an article titled Clearing the air: Utah's Pollution Problem and what Utahns can do to Improve

it. published by the Deseret News, Some public and private organizations, such as the Utah

Transit Authority, are taking steps to reduce the toxins in the air. UTA is gradually introducing

buses fueled by natural gas to its

fleet. Board of Trustees Chairman,

Rep. Greg Hughes says, As you

look at a day like today with

inversion, as we begin to replace these buses, as least UTA will be doing its part in reducing

pollution this is yet another step towards clearing Utah's air. As seen in the graphic above,

residential and commercial building make up thirty two percent of the PM being emitted, and

companies like Utah's public transit and airports around the state are a few of the many

commercial locations working to bring down the percentage of emitted pollutants.

Not only is it important for large businesses to work towards a greener future, but

it is also important to understand the small changes you can make in your life that will make a

difference in the long run. According to a video uploaded to Good 4 Utah, there are a couple

small things you can do daily to help reduce the air pollution in Utah. One of the easiest and

most efficient ways to not only reduce emissions but also lower your power bill is to just lower

your thermostat two degrees. Another simple way to make an impact can be to stop idling your

car in the morning, and either carpool, or take public transit. Not only will this support your

community but it can drastically decrease the number of cars on Utah's roads and reduce

emissions significantly. Once people begin to understand the impact they can make when

working toward cleaner air for Utah, it is also important to teach those who havent yet learned

how simple it can be to change your habits to become more environmentally friendly, the small

things they can do everyday to make a big difference in the years to come.

In conclusion Utahs air pollution is found to be dangerous at times, and working

together as a community, including businesses, we can all do our part to reduce the number of

bad air days Utah encounters throughout the duration of the winter months. Utah will hopefully

one day no longer have to worry about kids, the elderly, and those with preexisting conditions

being outside on winter days. Its crucial for Utahns to know and understand the miniscule things
they can do to contribute to the efforts to resolve this issue, and the importance of educating

others and bringing awareness to the growing problem of Utah's air.

 Works Cited

"Air Pollution and Public Health in Utah." UtahAir - Particulate Matter. N.p., n.d. Web. 28

Mar. 2017.

"Air Pollution Effect on Heart and Lungs - Google Search." Air Pollution Effect on Heart and

Lungs - Google Search. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2017.

EMMA PENROD | The Salt Lake Tribune. "Utah will welcome 2017 with bad air and

broken pollution monitors." The Salt Lake Tribune. N.p., 29 Dec. 2016. Web. 27

Mar. 2017.

Leonard, Wendy. "Report: Air pollution a leading environmental cause of cancer deaths."

DeseretNews.com. Deseret News, 31 Oct. 2013. Web. 27 Mar. 2017.

Lakana. "5 Easy Ways You Can Help Improve Utah's Poor Air Quality." GOOD4UTAH.

N.p., 04 Jan. 2016. Web. 24 Mar. 2017.

Teggins, Dave. Personal Interview. 26 Mar. 2017.

Utah League of Cities and Towns. "Clearing the air: Utah's pollution problem and what

Utahns can do to improve it." DeseretNews.com. Deseret News, 22 Jan. 2014.

Web. 28 Mar. 2017.

"Winter Inversions: What Are They and What We Can All Do To Help." Winter

Inversions: What Are They and What We Can All Do To Help | Salt Lake City - The

Official City Government Website. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2017.