Ozone and Smog

If you live in a metropolitan area such as Los Angeles, you are probably

familiar with urban smog—the dark yellow or brown haze that builds up in

a large stagnant air mass and hangs over populated areas on calm hot summer

days.

contains numerous other chemicals, including carbon monoxide (CO), particulate

matter such as soot and dust, volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

such as benzene, butane, and other hydrocarbons. The harmful ground-level

ozone should not be confused with the useful ozone layer high in the

stratosphere that protects the earth from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays.

Ozone at ground level is a pollutant with several adverse health effects.

The primary source of both nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons is the

motor vehicles. Hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides react in the presence of

sunlight on hot calm days to form ground-level ozone, which is the primary

Ozone

and carbon dioxide are exchanged, causing eventual hardening of this soft

and spongy tissue. It also causes shortness of breath, wheezing, fatigue,

headaches, and nausea, and aggravates respiratory problems such as asthma.

Every exposure to ozone does a little damage to the lungs, just like cigarette

smoke, eventually reducing the individual’s lung capacity. Staying indoors

and minimizing physical activity during heavy smog minimizes damage.

Ozone also harms vegetation by damaging leaf tissues. To improve the air

quality in areas with the worst ozone problems, reformulated gasoline

(RFG) that contains at least 2 percent oxygen was introduced. The use of

RFG has resulted in significant reduction in the emission of ozone and other

pollutants, and its use is mandatory in many smog-prone areas.

The other serious pollutant in smog is

odorless, poisonous gas. It is mostly emitted by motor vehicles, and it

can build to dangerous levels in areas with heavy congested traffic. It

deprives the body’s organs from getting enough oxygen by binding with the

red blood cells that would otherwise carry oxygen. At low levels, carbon

monoxide decreases the amount of oxygen supplied to the brain and other

organs and muscles, slows body reactions and reflexes, and impairs judgment.

It poses a serious threat to people with heart disease because of the

fragile condition of the circulatory system and to fetuses because of the

oxygen needs of the developing brain. At high levels, it can be fatal, as evidenced

by numerous deaths caused by cars that are warmed up in closed

garages or by exhaust gases leaking into the cars.

Smog also contains suspended particulate matter such as dust and soot

emitted by vehicles and industrial facilities. Such particles irritate the eyes

and the lungs since they may carry compounds such as acids and metals.

component of smog (Fig. 2–64). The smog formation usually peaks in late

afternoons when the temperatures are highest and there is plenty of sunlight.

Although ground-level smog and ozone form in urban areas with heavy traffic

or industry, the prevailing winds can transport them several hundred

miles to other cities. This shows that pollution knows of no boundaries, and

it is a global problem.

Smog is made up mostly of ground-level ozone (O3), but it also