surface ozone

Surface ozone should be studied because it helps infrom the public about what the quality of the air they are breathing in is like.

What is surface temperature?  Ozone occurs naturally in Earth’s atmosphere wherever sunlight or chemical reactions break apart oxygen molecules.

How does ozone both enable life on Earth and threaten it?  The ozone layer protects Earths inhabitants from the harmful rays of the sun. The ozone layer only allows some of the rays through the atmosphere so that Earths inhabitants can get vitamin D and other things that we need. It can be harmful because it can break down and leave gaps through the ozone and this allows harmful rays through to the Earth’s surface. This can cause icecaps to begin to melt and for the sea to rise due to the increase of water. This then can make the surface of the Earth to be flooded or over heated through time. Ultimately this may wipe out all of Earth’s inhabitants that range from trees, humans and animals.

How does the surface ozone form?  It is a product of air pollution. It’s also called smog. Its located in the troposphere. Ozone formation is most conducive during warm, dry, and cloudless days with low wind speeds; these conditions most often occur during high-pressure systems.

How does the surface ozone affect health?  Ozone in the air we breathe can harm our health—typically on hot, sunny days when ozone can reach unhealthy levels. Even relatively low levels of ozone can cause health effects.  People with lung disease, children, older adults, and people who are active outdoors may be particularly sensitive to ozone.  Children are at greatest risk from exposure to ozone because their lungs are still developing and they are more likely to be active outdoors when ozone levels are high, which increases their exposure.  Children are also more likely than adults to have asthma. Breathing ozone can trigger a variety of health problems including chest pain, coughing, throat irritation, and congestion. It can worsen bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma. Ground level ozone also can reduce lung function and inflame the linings of the lungs. Repeated exposure may permanently scar lung tissue.

Volatile organic compounds (VOC) means organic chemicals that have a high vapor pressure at ordinary, room-temperature conditions. Their high vapor pressure results from a low boiling point, which causes large numbers of molecules to evaporate or sublimate from the liquid or solid form of the compound and enter the surrounding air. Oxides of nitrogen (NOX) is binary compound of oxygen and nitrogen. O2 and N2 come together and form this chemical compound know as of=xides of nitrogen.

These notes are courtesy of nasa.gov,  http://www.eco-web.com/edi/050706.html , andhttp://www.epa.gov/glo/health.html