Ozone in northern Utah hits worst levels in nearly 10 years

Ozone levels in northern Utah’s murky air have reached their worst levels in nearly 10 years this summer.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports hot summer temperatures brought on by high-pressure systems have spiked the ozone levels.

Bryce Bird, director of the Utah Division of Air Quality, says air monitors in northern Utah have exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency’s standard for ozone 13-14 times this summer.

Bo Call, who oversees air-quality monitoring for the division, says the last time the Wasatch Front saw levels this high was in 2008.

Ozone is a secondary pollutant, meaning it’s not emitted directly by one source or another. It forms in the atmosphere when sunlight causes other chemicals to react with one another.

Ozone burns lung tissue when inhaled.