Utah’s Air Quality Challenges
Air Quality Challenges in Utah: Present Since the First Settlement
Air quality has been a persistent problem for Utah since its first settler communities established themselves in the state in the mid 1800s. Utah's unique topography, geography, and meteorology are important factors in the buildup of fine particulates during inversions. Additionally, much of Utah’s population, and pollution, is housed along the Wasatch Front, with two-thirds of Utah’s population (roughly 2 million residents) calling that area along the Great Salt Lake home. WIth an ever-growing population, the State of Utah is continually looking to implement air quality best practices to keep our state beautiful and healthy for generations to come.
Understanding Utah’s Air Quality
Utah’s Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Division of Air Quality (DAQ) often hears from residents who want to know more about Utah’s air quality, the pollutants, the causes, and what they can do to help reduce their emissions. DEQ scientists and engineers, through legislative funded air quality research and partnerships with state and federal agencies are learning more every day about the complex chemistry that creates our state’s unique air quality challenges. Two primary categories of pollutants are particulate matter (PM) and ozone.
PM2.5 is the main component of Utah’s wintertime air pollution. PM2.5 refers to microscopic particles, or particulate matter (PM), that have a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers—smaller than pollen and most bacteria. Sources of PM2.5 are broken down into three categories: point sources, mobile sources, and area sources. Point sources (13 percent of a typical inversion) are large stationary industrial or commercial facilities. Mobile sources (48 percent of a typical inversion) are non-stationary sources such as vehicles, trains and aircraft. Area sources (39 percent of a typical inversion) are smaller stationary sources. These include emissions from home heating, smoke from wood burning, and emissions from small businesses like restaurants and dry cleaners.
Ozone is formed when oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) break apart in the presence of sunlight and high temperatures and recombine into new structures, creating ozone. Ozone at ground level is a harmful air pollutant that damages human health and vegetation. It is a key ingredient in summertime smog and haze. Approximately 90 percent of atmospheric ozone occurs naturally and is located in the stratosphere to protect the earth from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. The remaining 10 percent of ozone is located at ground level and is a result of compounds emitted from automobiles, industrial facilities, and household products.
Source: https://deq.utah.gov/communication/news/understanding-utahs-air-quality
What Can You Do to Help with Utah Air Quality?
- Conserve energy – remember to turn off lights, computers, and other appliances.
- Get in the habit of setting your thermostat a few degrees warmer in the summer and a few degrees cooler in the winter.
- Use energy efficient light bulbs and appliances.
- Limit driving and practice TravelWise strategies like carpooling, public transit, biking and walking.
- Combine errands for fewer trips.
- Keep your automobile well maintained. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations on routine maintenance and check tire pressure and wheel alignment.
- Avoid idling your automobile.
- Use electric or hand-powered lawn tools.
- Use a modern gas can to limit emitting fumes and spilling gasoline.
- Run dishwashers and clothes washers only when full.
- Choose environmentally responsible home cleaners.
