How to See Smog

Smog ozone forms when gases that come out of the exhaust pipes of cars react with sunlight. Air pollution like smog is a point of major conversation as manufacturers and government leaders try to control the level of smog ozone in our society. Spotting smog is fairly easy if you follow a few easy steps.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Look for a large haze that floats around in the atmosphere. This is most likely to occur over a large metropolitan area. Ozone smog floats around in the stratosphere where it absorbs ultraviolet rays. About 10 percent of smog lays in the lower part of the sky where it can get in your face.
2. Smell smog by sniffing a foul odor. Smog ozone can burn your eyes and make breathing difficult as the smog pollution has replaced the oxygen in the air. Smog can be extremely hazardous for people with asthma and other conditions.
3. Watch for smog ozone in the hottest months of the year. During the summer months, ultraviolet rays are beating down on the areas of the United States at the highest levels.
4. Watch out for conditions that are caused by smog like chest pains, nausea, coughing and heart trouble. This is a sure sign that smog may be in the area.
5. Check for a thick, brown haze. This is a serious smog haze. If you see photochemical smog in this form in the middle of a summer afternoon, you have identified smog.