SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Division of Air Quality began issuing alerts for ozone pollution in 12 of Utah’s 29 counties on Monday.
Ozone builds up gradually on hot summer days. The typical recipe for ozone in Utah occurs when oxides of nitrogen — mainly emissions from vehicle tailpipes, diesel engines and industrial sources — and volatile organic compounds break apart under intense sunlight and reform as ozone.
At ground level, ozone is a pollutant that damages human health and is a key ingredient in summertime smog. The highest ground level ozone concentrations usually occur between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. May through September.
“Emissions from vehicles and vapors that come from paints, solvents and fuels can be reduced significantly through a few simple actions,” the division’s director, Bryce Bird, said in a statement.
“The best choices we all can make during the summer months to protect human health is to regularly leave our vehicles parked for the day and find other ways to get around, limit the use of gas-powered lawn equipment, as well as choosing paints, solvents and other products that are low in VOCs — especially on sunny days with calm winds and afternoon temperatures above 90 degrees when ground level ozone is most likely to form.”
In 2015, the federal ozone standard was lowered from 75 parts per billion to 70 parts per billion. In 2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency designated the Wasatch Front and parts of the Uinta Basin as “marginal” nonattainment of the 8-hour standard for ozone pollution — the least stringent classification.
The Division of Air Quality issues two types of forecasts during the summer:
• Action alerts that notify the public of the steps they can take to combat current pollution levels. Three basic symbols are used to indicate unrestricted, voluntary and mandatory actions for ozone pollution.
• Health guidance, which helps determine how the highest pollution level of the day will affect human health. EPA’s national standard Air Quality Index is divided into six color-coded categories that correspond with different levels of pollution and related guidance for individuals with health concerns.
The division encourages Utah residents to visit the Utah Clean Air Partnership website, ucair.org, for more tips and ideas on how to reduce emissions during the summer months.
The division will also provide Utah residents with air quality forecasting throughout the summer through its UtahAir app, free for both iOS and Android, at airquality.utah.gov, and through a toll-free messages at 1-800-228-5434.