Saturday, April 18, 1998 | 2:24 a.m.
Spring is a time of year when many are worried about the sneezing and coughing caused by allergies. It is also a time when we should be concerned about breathing difficulties that may be caused by increased air pollution this summer.
As a graduate student at Penn State University, I studied the health effects of ozone and other air pollutants. Even at low levels, ozone causes discomfort and difficulty in breathing, especially among the elderly and in people with asthma.
An April 13 article in the Las Vegas SUN discussed a proposal by the Clark County Health District to bring the EPA's Reformulated Gasoline Program to the Las Vegas Valley. This program would add a chemical called MTBE to gasoline during the summer months to reduce the accumulation of ozone and other pollutants in our atmosphere.
A recent study has shown that in Los Angeles, for example, the program is expected to reduce the amount of ozone pumped into the air daily by about 10 percent, leading to significant health benefits.
Some are worried about potential risks if the MTBE-treated gasoline leaks into our local water supply. Currently, approximately 73 million people in this country live in areas where MTBE-treated fuel is in use.
Studies have shown that 95 percent of these people receive negligible exposure to MTBE in their drinking water. Of the other 5 percent (3.65 million people) who are exposed due to spills or leaks, the level found in their drinking water is 10 to 200 times below the level believed to be the safe limit.
The issue needs more study, and such studies are being completed by the EPA and the state of California. However, in the meantime, the benefits of MTBE to help keep our air clean outweigh the risks.
Citizens should support the Clark County Health District in bringing the Reformulated Gasoline Program to Southern Nevada.
Marc Rigas
archive
