| In the last decade, there has been a marked increase | | | | from exhaust fumes from vehicles and factories. It is |
| in the number of reported allergies, asthma attacks | | | | also produced as a byproduct when volatile organic |
| and headaches as compared to previous years. | | | | compounds combine with nitrogen oxides and are |
| Although there are many possible reasons for these | | | | exposed to sunlight. Few people realize it but ozone is |
| conditions, most of them can be traced back to only | | | | actually the main component of the well-known air |
| one thing - the worsening quality of air that we | | | | pollutant that we know as smog. |
| breathe. Air pollutants have always been around but | | | | Global warming also plays a significant role in the |
| recently, their concentration in the atmosphere has | | | | growing problem of ground-level ozone. This |
| risen to dangerously high levels, resulting in many kinds | | | | compound forms faster in hot weather and with the |
| of negative consequences, like people getting sick and | | | | frequent heat waves brought about by global warming, |
| properties being damaged. | | | | more and more ground-level ozone is being emitted |
| In an attempt to protect themselves from air pollutants, | | | | into the atmosphere. |
| many people try to spend more of their time indoors | | | | Particulate matter is another kind of widespread air |
| than risk going out and inhaling all the dust and smog in | | | | pollutant. These are combinations of minute particles |
| the city. What they don't know is that there are also air | | | | like dust, soil, organic chemicals and acid droplets. You |
| pollutants inside the house, sometimes even more than | | | | would think that the smaller the particles get, the |
| there is outside. Seemingly harmless household | | | | smaller the damage they can inflict. Quite the contrary, |
| activities like cooking, doing the laundry, using the air | | | | the tiniest particles are those that can make their way |
| conditioner and blow-drying your hair can all contribute | | | | through your body's respiratory filters and into the lungs |
| to the release of indoor air pollutants that are | | | | and heart, thus causing a more serious effect on the |
| potentially very harmful to the body. Ironically, in their | | | | health. |
| efforts to minimize the damage to their health, people | | | | Finally, carbon monoxide is relatively the least prevalent |
| are actually exposing themselves to greater threats. | | | | among the three types of air pollutants but by no |
| According to the Environmental Protection Agency or | | | | means is it any less dangerous to people's health. |
| EPA, there are three basic categories of air pollutants | | | | More than 75% of the total carbon monoxide in the |
| - ground level ozone, particulate matter and carbon | | | | urban atmosphere today comes from motor vehicle |
| monoxide. Environmental studies show that the first | | | | emissions while most of the remainder comes from |
| two categories are the most rampant in our | | | | industrial wastes. |
| atmosphere today, hence posing the greatest threats. | | | | Majority of the sources of air pollutants are things that |
| Many of us know that the ozone layer is very | | | | are already parts of our society, which is why it will be |
| important to the earth because it protects us from the | | | | very difficult to solve this problem. But if each of us |
| sun's ultraviolet rays. So how can ground-level ozone | | | | makes even a tiny contribution, it is still possible to |
| be bad? Simple, because ozone is only good when it is | | | | make our atmosphere as clean and healthy as it was |
| way up there in the stratosphere but not when it is in | | | | decades ago. |
| the air that we breathe. Ground-level ozone comes | | | | |