Utah air pollution could impact 2034 Olympics, expert warns [Video]

SALT LAKE CITY — Earlier this year, pollution in the Seine River postponed events during the 2024 Paris Olympics. A Utah State University professor said the 2034 Winter Olympics could face similar issues if Utah air pollution isn’t reduced. 

Edwin Stafford, a USU professor of marketing with expertise in sustainable entrepreneurship, said that poor air quality could cause a similar situation. At the very least, it could dissuade people from wanting to visit the Beehive State. 

Short-term exposure to pollutants can be dangerous

The 2034 Winter Olympics would likely be held during Utah’s infamous inversion season when air pollution is trapped in the Salt Lake Valley. 

Even short-term exposure to air pollution can be detrimental to human health. According to the World Health Organization, ‘safe’ levels of exposure can fluctuate depending on the pollution’s contents. 

The National Institute of Healthsaid several studies found that short-term exposure to high levels of air pollution can lead to poor lung and …