www.eisenhowerhealth.org/awards This summer, the Pacific Institute, a global nonpartisan think tank, released “Breathing Hazard: Air Pollution in the Salton Sea Region,” describing and assessing complex and growing air quality threats in the valley. The Salton Sea – about 35 miles southeast of Palm Springs – is California’s largest lake and a major stopover for hundreds of species of migratory birds. The Sea has shrunk by more than 70 square miles over the past 30 years due to a 22% reduction in local agricultural water use, exposing dry lakebed—known as “playa”—and contributing to dangerous dust levels in an area already burdened with some of the highest respiratory hospitalization rates in California. Dust in the Valley Local residents are quite familiar with dust, especially after flooding caused by Tropical Storm Hilary in August 2023 brought tons of sediment into the valley. The dust blowing off this sediment can coat much of the valley and reduce visibility during strong winds, causing traffic accidents and road closures. Still, our lungs typically can screen out or remove these larger dust particles from our airways. Smaller particles that are hard to see, known as PM10—roughly 1/7 the width of a human hair—pose a greater health threat. Even smaller particles, known as PM2.5, can pass through the lungs into the bloodstream, affecting the heart and other organs. In addition to the size of the particles, the chemical and biological characteristics of these tiny particles can pose additional risks to human health. And, some gases, such as ozone and hydrogen sulfide (with its characteristic rotten egg smell), also impair human health in the valley, causing breathing problems, headaches and other symptoms. Many sources of air pollution The new Institute report synthesizes findings from scores of academic papers and agency reports to improve understanding of what contributes to regional air pollution and how to protect public health most effectively. While the Salton Sea gets most of the blame for local air pollution and public health impacts, the report details how the problem is much larger than the Sea. Multiple sources throughout the region emit a complex mix of dust, chemicals and biological pollutants, threatening the health of more than half a million people. Dust from unpaved roads, farms and offroad vehicles in nearby deserts; the growing expanse of exposed Salton Sea lakebed; diesel emissions, ozone and smoke from agricultural and other fires, combined with contaminants originating from the Salton Sea itself (such as hydrogen sulfide), all contribute to very high childhood asthma hospitalization rates, chronic nosebleeds and other indicators of poor health. These multiple sources frequently cause local dust and ozone concentrations to exceed federal and state regulatory thresholds. www.DesertHealthNews.com November/December 2025 Medical News The Valley's Leading Resource for Health and Wellness 4 The Pacific Institute's most recent report addresses the valley’s growing air quality threats. www.modernicareoptometry.com Improving Life by Improving Sight Susan Shahriari, OD "Quality care, friendly service and stylish results!" — Lauren Del Sarto (760) 674.7272 44435 Town Center Way, Suite B Palm Desert, CA 92260 modernicareoptometry.com Full Service and Specialty Contact Lens Clinic Providing individualized care for: Hard-to-fit Contacts for Post-surgical RK/Lasik Corneal Keratoconus • RGP Scleral Lens Cataract Care • Dry Eye Management Glaucoma Care • Exam with Digital Refraction Thank you, U.S. News & World Report, for listing us as one of the “Best Hospitals” in the region and California. We’re grateful to our exceptional care teams and hospital workers whose talent and dedication made this honor possible. We were also recognized for our high quality care in 18 specialties, surgeries and procedures. • Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair • Aortic Valve Surgery • Colon Cancer Surgery • Gynecological Cancer Surgery • Heart Bypass Surgery • Hip Fracture • Hip Replacement • Knee Replacement • Leukemia, Lymphoma & Myeloma • Lung Cancer • Orthopedics • Pacemaker Implantation • Pneumonia • Prostate Cancer Surgery • Spinal Fusion • Stroke • TAVR • Urology We look forward to building on and even surpassing this level of excellence in the coming year and delivering the best possible care to the people we serve. Learn more about our accreditations and recognitions at EisenhowerHealth.org/Awards. Quality Health Care Counts. You Can Count on Eisenhower Health for Truly Exceptional Performance. Air Pollution and Health in the Coachella Valley By Michael Cohen Continued on page 5
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