Ozone Fact SheetWhat is ozone?
Ozone is an odorless, colorless gas composed of three atoms of oxygen. Ozone occurs naturally in the Earth's upper atmosphere and as pollution at ground level.
Near ground level, ozone is formed when pollutants emitted by cars, power plants, farming equipment, wood burning fireplaces, animal waste, industrial boilers, refineries, chemical plants, and other sources react chemically in the presence of sunlight.
Should I be concerned about exposure to ground-level ozone?
That depends on who you are and how much ozone is in the air. Most people only have to worry about ozone exposure when ground-level concentrations reach high levels. In many U.S. communities, this can happen frequently during the summer months. In general, as ground-level ozone concentrations increase, more and more people experience health effects, the effects become more serious, and more people are admitted to the hospital for respiratory problems. When ozone levels are very high, everyone should be concerned about ozone exposure.
Who is at risk from ozone?
Four groups of people are particularly sensitive to ozone. Sensitive groups include:
Children. Active children are the group at highest risk from ozone exposure. Such children often spend a large part of their summer vacation outdoors, engaged in vigorous activities either in their neighborhood or at summer camp. Children are also more likely to have asthma or other respiratory illnesses. Asthma is the most common chronic disease for children and may be aggravated by ozone exposure.
Adults who are active outdoors. Healthy adults of all ages who exercise or work vigorously outdoors are considered a "sensitive group" because they have a higher level of exposure to ozone than people who are less active outdoors.
People with respiratory diseases, such as asthma. There is no evidence that ozone causes asthma or other chronic respiratory disease, but these diseases do make the lungs more vulnerable to the effects of ozone. Thus, individuals with these conditions will generally experience the effects of ozone earlier and at lower levels than less sensitive individuals.
People with unusual susceptibility to ozone. Scientists don't yet know why, but some healthy people are simply more sensitive to ozone than others. These individuals may experience more health effects from ozone exposure than the average person.
Why is it important that the Valley meet the federal ozone standards?
The Environmental Protection Agency has set a federal standard for ozone to protect public health, so attaining that standard means everyone breathes easier. Not attaining the standard can mean increased restrictions on development, transportation, federal transportation funding, and our overall quality of life in the Valley.
Source: Environmental Protection Agency
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