Ozone is one of the five major pollutants measured on a daily basis by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in order to determine the Air Quality Index.
There are two kinds of ozone: good ozone and bad or ground ozone. The good kind occurs naturally in the upper atmosphere and helps shield us from ultraviolet rays from the sun. The bad kind is formed in the lower atmosphere, near ground level. Ground-level ozone is formed when pollutants from cars, power plants, boilers, refineries, and other sources react chemically to sunlight.
Ground-level ozone is mainly a concern during the summer months when warmer temperatures and plenty of sunshine make the conditions just right for chemical reactions. For people in the South and Southwest, the ozone season can last almost year-round.
Ozone can damage crops and vegetation, cause health problems in people, and is a key ingredient in unhealthy smog. Ground-level ozone disrupts a plant’s ability to produce and store food. The plants can quickly become more susceptible to disease, insects, and harsh weather.
Ozone can irritate your lungs, causing inflammation, wheezing, coughing, and pain. Repeated exposure to ground-level ozone over several months can lead to permanent lung damage. Even low levels of ground-level ozone can trigger asthma attacks and increase your chance of contracting a respiratory illness like pneumonia and bronchitis. Active children are at the highest risk for ozone-related health issues because they spend so much of the summer outdoors. Active adults who exercise or work outdoors may also be at risk. People with respiratory diseases may experience ozone-related health problems more quickly or at lower ozone levels.
So what can you do to avoid exposure to ground-level ozone?
- Keep your outside time short on high ozone days.
- Reduce the intensity of your work or exercise on high ozone days.
- Plan outdoor activities in the early morning or evening, when ozone levels are usually lower.
And what can you do to reduce ozone pollution?
- Carpool or choose public transportation to reduce pollution from your car that may interact with sunlight and become ozone.
- Walk or ride your bike whenever possible.
- Try to minimize the evaporation of household and garden chemicals — don’t linger over your projects and replace lids tightly when not in use.
- Conserve energy.
- When putting gasoline in your car, don’t spill the gas and always tighten your gas cap securely.