In early November, Wyatt Perides was sitting in the Arby's restaurant opposite a construction site in Orem. He is taking a lunch break and is getting some relief from the heavy rain outside.

He was wearing a bright fluorescent yellow vest, the sleeves of the beige hoodie were pushed to the forearms, and the boots were covered with mud. The stubble on his chin made his young face look old.

Perides is 20 years old and has been working in construction for the past four years. He spends most of his time working outdoors in shifts for 8 to 15 hours-rainy, sunny, snowy or bad air quality days.

He said that he has suffered from asthma all his life, which is a situation he has learned to deal with. But when he works in bad air outside, he pays special attention to his breathing.

"I have an albuterol inhaler, so in those days, all I could do was say,'Oh, okay' and take a few breaths, hope I'll be fine," Perides said.

This summer, due to wildfire smoke from regional events such as the Dixie Fire in California, Utah has the worst pollution in the world. The air is full of particulate matter and ozone, which are known to have destructive effects on health.

Although most people were advised to stay indoors on August 6, Perides grabbed his inhaler, put on his hat hard and started working. He remembers going to the scene and looking forward to a good day.

A study by Brigham Young University found that due to bad air, the average life expectancy of Utahans has been shortened by approximately 1.1 to 3.6 years.

"It's a bit foggy," Perides said. "I thought it was just because of the fog. When the sun came in, it was like a fire in front of you. It arrived around 3 o'clock. The situation was so bad that we couldn't even see the huge loader. We had to get away from it. About 10 feet away."

Perides said he had difficulty breathing that day. He tried to call his boss to let him know his situation, but his call kept going to voicemail. By the fifth time he called, he felt it was not worth it.

Another supervisor distributed some masks, and the day went on as usual.

"When it comes to my health and safety, sometimes I feel like I'm pushing it for a few days, do you know?" Peridis said. "But other times I really don't [have] choice. I have to put food on the table, it's horrible."

Breathing this bad air can have long-term health effects. This is especially true for outdoor workers who often do heavy physical work.

Kristina Dahl, a senior climate scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists, studies the impact of climate change on outdoor workers. She specializes in extreme heat, but also sees the impact of other factors (such as bad air) on workers.

She said that it's not just people with asthma like Perides who are at risk.

"Things like fine particles tend to affect people with underlying diseases," Dahl said. "But exposure to this particulate matter has been linked to cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems and premature death."

She said that although young and healthy people may not feel this impact in their daily work, it may have a negative impact on their health in the future.

Dahl said there is also inequality in how people feel about these effects. Certain populations are more likely to be exposed to these conditions.

"Outdoor workers are people whose income is lower than the general public," she said. "They are disproportionate people of color. Moreover, historically, we have seen these people often live in economic conditions, and they are not allowed to run air purifiers in their homes."

According to the Labor Center at the University of California, Berkeley, these groups are also unlikely to have health insurance.

Brandon Dew is the chairman of the Central Utah Labor Federation and a former diesel engine repairman. He said that many workers did not think of bad air.

"I don't think air quality is one of the things that are truly educated on the job site and seen as a possible health crisis," he said.

Dew said that the health effects of workplace risks usually don’t become apparent until later in life—for example, his hearing loss caused by not wearing earmuffs.

He said that most workers did not think so far. They are trying to make ends meet, they cannot afford a day's vacation.

"There is no additional income," Dew said. "They have no salary. So, in order for them and their families to put a roof on their heads and stuff food into their children's stomachs, they have to go to work every day."

States such as California, Washington, and Oregon have adopted certain protective measures for outdoor workers—for example, if the air quality becomes too unhealthy, employers are required to provide KN-95 masks.

But Utah does not have that kind of protection. The Occupational Safety and Health Department of the Utah State Labor Commission told KUER that this is not a problem they are currently solving. They declined to comment further on this story.

But a Utah lawmaker is planning a series of aggressive proposals to address air quality issues more broadly. The legislation will establish new building standards to reduce emissions and make high-polluting cars pay higher motor vehicle registration fees.

At the same time, Dew stated that the job of the union is to raise awareness and advocate for workers' rights.

"In mass safety meetings held at construction sites, this topic needs to be discussed more often-about the long-term effects of wearing masks on days with poor air quality, and how it can have the same effects on our lungs as earplugs. Our long-term hearing," he said.

Du said that it is difficult to implement the mask policy at present because they have been heavily politicized during the pandemic.

As for Perides, he said he wants people to take into account the health of outdoor workers and make greater changes to protect the air.

"People can always take a bus, train or ride a bicycle. It's not difficult," he said as he finished lunch and was ready to go back to work.

Now Perides will put his inhaler nearby, hoping it will be enough.