Some of the healthiest people in the state are feeling impacts of poor air quality
Photo courtesy of E P Kosmicki
A recent Salt Lake Tribune article highlights the impact of the state’s poor air quality problem on even some of the healthiest residents – collegiate runners. While athletes often adjust by moving practices indoors to avoid harmful pollutants, the reality is that there is no safe level of air pollution. This truth, often overlooked by agencies like the EPA and Utah’s Division of Air Quality (DAQ), underscores the severity of the problem. Current air quality metrics downplay the dangers, using classifications like “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” despite the fact that air pollution poses risks to everyone, not just those with pre-existing conditions.
Athletes in the article describe how they can feel the difference in the air when they train outdoors on certain days. UPHE frequently advises people not to exercise outside on poor air quality days because inhaling particulates at a higher rate is going to increase your risk of facing air pollution related health effects, ranging from a cough and sore throat to cancer.
The athletes noted their concerns about the situation worsening due to Great Salt Lake conditions. Research has shown that dust from the Great Salt Lake bed contains harmful metals like lead, copper, and manganese, which can irritate lungs and cause inflammation, potentially leading to long-term respiratory damage. Atmospheric scientist, Kevin Perry, notes that Utahns experience four to five dust storms annually, spreading this toxic dust further across the Wasatch Front.
Air pollution doesn’t just harm the so-called “sensitive groups”—it impacts everyone, from athletes to children to the elderly. The health of Utah’s residents, and its collegiate runners in particular, is yet another casualty of poor environmental policy and the state’s failure to adequately address the root causes of its worsening air quality.