By Shauna Leavitt

November 14, 2005 | The health risk of living in Cache Valley's winter pollution is equivalent to living with someone who smokes a half a pack of cigarettes a day.

The bad air in January and February stretches down the valley from Preston, Idaho, to Hyrum, Utah.

Wednesday, citizens of Cache Valley gathered in the County Building to discuss the pollution problem.

Dr. Ed Redd of the Bear River Health Department and Dr. Randy Martin from Utah State University's civil and environmental engineering department outlined the issue.

"Correct the problem and you protect human health," said Martin

The increased pollution is caused by inversion, which is a layer of warm air trapping polluted cold air beneath it. The bad air has no way to escape.

Few places in the world have the environmental characteristics to produce the type of pollution that plagues the valley every winter.

The combination of too many petroleum-run vehicles, a bowl-shaped valley, a byproduct of livestock waste and the sun's reflection off the snow creates a chemical reaction that produces ammonium nitrate particles.

These fine particles are so small the natural filtering capabilities in the human nose and lungs do not keep them out. The particles are 0.0000984 inch in diameter, or 1/620th the thickness of a dime.

Ammonium nitrate particles are measured by PM2.5 readings, that is, particles less then 1/40th the diameter of a human hair.

If an ammonium nitrate particle is set beside a red blood cell it would look like a green pea sitting beside a cantaloupe.

"I am concerned because [the particles] are able to penetrate deep into the respiratory tract and lung tissue," said Martin.

When these particles are breathed in, individuals are unable to cough them up so they become part of the lung tissue and cause health problems.

The two groups hardest hit by the high PM2.5 are children and the elderly.

"Children get a much higher dose of pollution because they have a high metabolism, they are physically active and they breathe more," said Redd.

He added that medical problems of the elderly are easily upset with the pollution.

Redd advised residents to avoid outside, cold air and exertion when the PM2.5 level is more than 65.

The PM2.5 level is 45 percent lower in a warm building. Although filters can't decrease the PM2.5 levels, warm temperatures do.

"We will help ourselves if we take care of the problem early," said Redd

A USU study showed, "10 percent of cars emit 50 percent of emissions. If we can get those 10 percent off the road [or tuned up] then it would improve," said Martin

This sounds easy, but the majority of the drivers of the 10 percent of vehicles can't afford to replace or repair the vehicles.

Affordable, convenient mass transportation may motivate drivers to decrease emissions by leaving the cars parked at home and hoping on the bus.

"If we do not improve voluntarily, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may issue a mandate where the County will be forced into regulation," said Redd.

He continued, "It will be easier to solve the problems ourselves before we are forced to follow the EPA's regulations. Do what you can as soon as you can . . . for the people's health.

"This is not going to be solved overnight. Hopefully in three to six years the air quality will be better. It will take the effort of the people," said Redd.

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