SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - The National Weather Service is forecasting red air days for Salt Lake and Davis counties through Thursday and for Tooele County through Wednesday.
Respiratory doctors warn anyone with breathing or heart problems to stay indoors. NOAA is asking drivers to carpool to reduce the amount of pollutants in the air.
ABC 4's Noah Bond pointed out the clear skies during his 4:00 p.m. live shot and took his viewers on a tour of how the pollutants can be hard to see.
"It looks good to me. It looks great. It's a beautiful day," said Suzanne Carr as she took a deep breath explaining how the air smelled clean.
However, ABC 4's camera found a different picture above Utah's State Capitol. From this vantage point, looking over the valley, a thin haze emerges into plain view.
Bond talked with a mother walking her daughter to piano lessons in this area. He said, "Take a look with me over here. What do you think about that?" Ann Stapley replied, "Ugh. I think it looks horrible. It looks really gross."
Intermountain Medical Center Pulmonary Doctor Denitza Blagev and Director for Schmdt Chest Clinic says a red air day is a warning for people with lung and heart problems.
They may experience shortness of breath, coughing and chest tightness. This group should take extra precautions to stay indoors.
For others Blagev says, "If you are going to be outside exercising outside increases your exposure."
The haze contains ozone. Oxygen is O2 and ozone is O3. The extra oxygen molecule damages mucus and respiratory tissues in your throat and lungs in high enough concentrations. So we put these warnings to the test by talking with asthma patient, Gavin Augeson.
Bond asked him, "Are you having any problems breathing or are you breathing just fine today?" Augeson replied, "Breathing just fine today." Bond replied, "Good I'm glad to hear that."
Now even though he didn't have problems this ozone in the air can cause problems for all of us with long term exposure.
Bottom line, NOAA is asking all of us in the red zone areas to drive less and stay inside where the air is filtered.
