Air pollution is a threat to not only the health of our citizens, but mainly the climate. In the valley the air pollution gets worse and worse every year. As we get further into the winter, inversion becomes a thing we need to worry about with air pollution. Oil and gas refineries also play a big role in air pollution.
What is the biggest contributor to air pollution in the valley? There are many things that cause air pollution, some of the main issues are simple things like using our cars, turning on our stoves, or using anything with gas and oil release believe it or not these are not the only causes. In an interview with Adela Genoves, an Earth Science teacher at Kearns High School, she said, “There are a few, to start there is research thats shows that there is a magnesium plant on the westside of the Great Salt Lake. That plant contributes a lot of pollution that affects the communities here in the Salt Lake valley. That plant has minerals in the Great Salt Lake which evaporate into the air. Another contributor is refineries creating electrical power as pollution. The Kennecott mine is also a factor in the pollution along the valley. This tells us that there are many contributors to the air pollution here in the valley and that it is affecting our communities.
Is the health of our residents in the valley something to worry about with the air pollution? Obviously if you already have respiratory issues the air quality will affect you but, on the days, where the air pollution is extremely bad it could cause a number of diseases. According to Adela Genoves, “The health of our residents with the air pollution is absolutely something to worry about, a lot of people in Utah have asthma. There are other health factors that we may not consider “. This shows that the air pollution in the valley has some impact on our citizens in the valley.
How does air pollution get worse in the wintertime? As stated by Adela Genoves, “A weird phenomena in January and February usually happens after a snowstorm. So essentially a snowstorm hits, and after it leaves, a cold layer of air sits closer to the ground and at the same time as this we are driving our cars and using our wood burning stoves or anything with combustion to help with the cold. These things create pollution. That hot air pollution gets trapped is just stuck in our valley.” This indicates that during the winter air pollution is worse than most of the year.
In conclusion, the air pollution in Utah is caused by several things and affects not only the health of our citizens but mainly our climate.
