Example of a Pollutant
Ozone is known to make up a protective layer in the atmosphere, from 10 to 30 miles up, which protects human beings against much of the Sun's ultraviolet light. Man-made processes, however, cause ozone to form at ground level. In many places, it has become a major air pollutant and is the main component of smog. The presence of ozone near the ground causes many health effects in humans as well as with vegetation.
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Identification
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Ozone is composed of 3 oxygen atoms. It is created, at ground level, from a chemical reaction between nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds that react with sunlight. The compounds that result in ozone formation are released by motor vehicle exhaust, industrial emissions, gasoline vapors and chemical solvents. Bad ozone is that which forms near the ground. The chemical structure of this and the good ozone higher up is the same.
Effects
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Older people, children and those with lung disease are especially vulnerable to the effects of ozone. Ozone can irritate airways and cause coughing and pain. It can even cause inflammation of airways and aggravate preexisting asthmatic conditions. Raising susceptibility to pneumonia and bronchitis, it can eventually lead to permanent lung damage. Also, ozone affects plants and how they produce and store food, making them more vulnerable to other pollutants, insects, diseases and weather.
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Prevention/Solution
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The Clean Air Act was enacted by the EPA in 1990. It is intended to set protective standards for ozone in the air. Various programs have been implemented, which incorporate primary standards that set out to address public health, and secondary standards that set limits to protect against things such as visibility impairment and damage to crops, vegetation and buildings. The EPA strengthened the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), for ground-level ozone on March 12, 2008.
History
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The first standard to address ground-level ozone was introduced in 1971, which set a 1 hour NAAQS limit of 0.08 ppm of ozone. In 1979, this was revised to 0.12 ppm. By 1995, the EPA and 37 states formed the Ozone Transport Assessment Group for the purpose of a wide-scale study of ozone transport over 2 years. This resulted in a proposal to reduce nitric oxides regionally across the eastern U.S. A 1997 standard set suitable ozone concentrations at 0.08 over 8 hours. State plans were submitted to EPA in 2007 to meet that goal.
Geography
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Ozone pollution is most prevalent in large urban areas. In the United States, the worst ozone problems can be found in the urban corridor in southern New York and New Jersey, up to Boston; and also in California. The EPA has designated 10 regions in the U.S. in order to make state recommendations, and according to where the most monitored locations met or haven't met standard requirements. Region 1 encompasses New England states, while Region 2 includes New York and New Jersey.
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