By Cori Frayer
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Picturesque mountain ranges, endless palm tree-lined communities, year-round desirable temperatures and canals creating hundreds of activity-friendly pathways make Phoenix sound like any outdoor enthusiast's fantasy.
Up close everything looks picture-perfect. But look in the distance.
That brown layer of smog lingering is one sign that exercising in the Valley of the Sun might be doing the body more harm than good.
"You think, 'I'm gonna do a good thing and bike to school today,' said Dr. Donna Cataldo, an ASU professor of Kinesiology. "The reality is it's not such a good thing, you're just sucking up lots of carbon monoxide."
In fact, Phoenix has been under close watch by the US Environmental Protection Agency for more than a decade because of its poor air quality. In 1996, it was designated a non-attainment area for particulates.
This means the unhealthy level of dust, produced mainly by the increasing construction and road building in the area, violates the clean-air standard. If the city does not create a satisfactory plan to reduce pollution by December, the federal government has threatened to cut off highway funding and restrict new business projects.
ASU Professor of Kinesiology Tannah Broman believes a stop to the city's expansion might be beneficial to health of the public, especially those who routinely exercise outdoors.
"We have to learn to better manage our resources," Broman said. "There has to be a better way for this city to go about things."
THE AIR UP THERE
At rest, air reaches only the top third of the lungs.
But during exercise, especially high intensity activities like running and biking, the entire lung takes in air and is exposed to unhealthy pollutants. During intense workouts, small particles of dust can damage the cilia in the esophagus, allowing particles to reach deep into the lungs and damage the alveoli which act as bridges for transportation of oxygen to the blood. This affects athletic performance.
Particulate matter is only a small piece to the puzzle of pollutants hovering in the city's air.
Throughout the Valley, carbon monoxide, ozone, sulfur dioxides, nitrogen oxides and particulates pose potential health hazards for the active public.
"Carbon monoxide is a big concern," Broman said. "When there are high amounts of carbon monoxide in the air, blood will bind to carbon monoxide instead of oxygen, making it much harder to exercise."
Carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless and poisonous gas is distributed into the air mostly by automobile exhaust fumes. This gas not only reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, but aggravates heart and respiratory disease, causes headaches and fatigue while exercising and can even cause irreversible brain damage and death at higher concentrations.
According to Maricopa County's 2005 Annual Air Monitoring Network Review, traffic-heavy areas such as West Phoenix, Central Phoenix and the specific areas surrounding 33rd Avenue and Indian School Road and 27th Avenue and Interstate 10 have scored highest in carbon monoxide levels since 2003.
Although it is important to refrain from exercising in these areas during rush hour, Cataldo recommends avoiding exercise during rush hour in all areas throughout the Valley.
"Even concentrations of 5 percent carbon monoxide have shown to be damaging," she said.
HAZY DAYS?
Although the brown haze blocking the area's mountains is visible daily, few are aware of the health effects this haze, known as ozone, can have on the body and athletic performance.
There are two types of ozone. Good ozone, a naturally occurring compound found six miles or more above the earth, screens out harmful ultraviolet light from the sun.
Bad ozone lingers at ground level and contains pollutants that contribute to the brown smog.
The desert heat, strong sunlight and the sea of toxic pollutants in the air, including gasoline vapors, chemical solvents and combustion products of fuels and consumer products, combine to concoct the "toxic soup" known as ozone.
"During the day the heat creates higher ozone levels causing more respiratory discomfort and pulmonary infection," Cataldo said. "Even a well trained athlete is at risk for impaired pulmonary function at these times."
In the summer, extreme temperatures create dangerously high ozone levels. Cataldo suggests, although it might not be as exciting, it is best to exercise indoors on extreme caution days.
North Phoenix, Fountain Hills and the north Valley area surrounding Humboldt Mountain consistently rate among highest measured ozone areas since 2003, according to the county's Air Quality Department's 2005 Annual Air Monitoring Network Review.
Also contributing to the brown smog is what is referred to as a stagnant air mass. When the winds are calm, trapped particulates accumulate. At night the air on the ground cools, the cool air then moves on top of the warm air, trapping the majority of pollutants in the area. As the day heats up, these particulates rise, contributing to the brown haze, and with each sunset, the cycle is repeated.
"It is important to be conscious of the high hazard warnings that are communicated regularly," Cataldo said. "Otherwise you're putting yourself at risk for upper respiratory tract infections and nasal passage inflammation."
RISK AVERSION
Living in Phoenix does not mean active individuals should confine themselves to what some outdoor enthusiasts call the "sweat box", or as it is more commonly known, the gym. However, to be as safe as possible, athletes should pay close attention to daily pollution levels and the use of common sense.
The EPA's AIRNOW website provides real-time air pollution maps for particulates and ozone for major US metropolitan areas. The map includes Phoenix and surrounding areas all the way to Queen Creek and Palo Verde, and provides daily Air Quality Index readings as well.
Furthermore, the next time you hop on the Loop 202 and notice the big orange high pollution warning flashing above, pay attention.
It might be a good idea to hit the treadmill, or try an indoor spinning class that day.
For more information visit the EPA AIRNOW website http://www.epa.gov/airnow or the Maricopa County Interactive Pollution Map http://www.maricopa.gov/aq/status/map.aspx
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