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Smog and
Ground-Level
Ozone
By Adar Thau, Adam
Slavick, and Carmen
Perez Garrido
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What is Smog?
What is Ozone?

Smog (ground-level ozone) is a
chemical mixture of gases, such as
nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile
organic compounds (VOC), which
form a brownish-yellow haze
primarily over urban areas.

Ozone: Gas formed by three oxygen
atoms (O3)
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What is the difference between
“good” and “bad” ozone?

Ozone in the stratosphere protects against UV radiation.

Ground-level ozone is hazardous to the human health and to
the environment.
+ Why is Smog an issue to society?
Why is it important?

Smog has several short-term health effects on humans, such as
nose irritation, throat irritation, chest pain, coughing and nausea.

Smog has several long-term health effects on humans, such as
permanent damage to lungs.

Ground-level ozone damages vegetation and ecosystems.

In the US alone, ozone is responsible for 70 million dollars in reduced
crop production.

In plants, ozone damages plant tissue, leads to 10 – 40 % growth
loss, premature aging, and decrease in pollen life span.

In animals, ozone causes decreased lung capacity and lung
elasticity
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What are the causes
of Smog?

When inactive air masses linger over
urban areas, nitrogen oxides and
volatile organic compounds (and other
pollutants for that matter) are held in
place for long periods of time. Sunlight
transforms them into ground- level
ozone after interacting with them.
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
The nitrogen oxides and volatile
organic compounds come from:
vehicles, industrial boilers, and
commercial and consumer products.

What are the causes
of Smog?
Fossil fuels and their byproducts are
responsible for 95% of NOx and 60%
for VOC emissions.
+ Hole in The Ozone Layer: How does it affect
Smog levels?
The hole in the stratospheric ozone layer (around the Arctic Circle) lets in
UV radiation and heat, which are trapped beneath the stratospheric layer.
This trapped heat ends up triggering the chemical reactions that cause
smog.
Ground-level ozone is solvable. From
1980- 2009 , there has been a 30 %
decrease in the National average of
Ozone air quality.
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How can YOU help?
•Drive
less
•Drive smart
•Save energy
•Choose air-friendly products
•Waste not
•Speak up for clean air
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+ What is currently being done to
help solve our smog problem?
What are some laws?


Efforts:

Many fuel-efficient cars are being engineered.

People are becoming aware of the consequences that smog
presents us with.
Laws:

The Federal Clean Air Act (FCAA) is the federal law passed in
1970, and last amended in 1990, which forms the basis for the
national air pollution control efforts.

California Air Pollution Control Laws are a collection of laws that
control various scenarios, in which pollution would be emitted
that could otherwise be controlled.
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Contacts:
Who can be contacted for additional
information about Smog or to voice
your opinions/feelings?

You can go to
http://www.epa.gov/epahome/comme
nts3.htm to contact the national
Environment Protection Agency

You can contact California
Environmental Protection Agency at
(800) 242-4450 or visit
http://www.arb.ca.gov/homepage.htm
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Bibliography

"Smog and Ground-Level Ozone." Environmental Fact Sheet. 2008.
Web. 7 Mar. 2011. http://des.nh.gov/.

"The Ozone Notepad." School of Chemistry - Bristol University UK. Web. 10 Mar. 2011.
http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/ozone/Low.htm.

"Smog." Welcome to the National Capital Free Net. Web. 10 Mar.
2011.
http://www.ncf.ca/ip/social.services/eco/info/primer/smog/all.

"Ground-level Ozone | US EPA." US Environmental Protection
Agency. Web. 10 Mar. 2011. http://www.epa.gov/glo/.

"Air Quality." Environmental Encyclopedia. Gale, 2009. Gale
Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 8 Mar. 2011.

"Ozone Layer." Environmental Science: In Context. Ed. Brenda
Wilmot Lerner and K. Lee Lerner. Vol.2. Detroit: Gale, 2009.661-663.
Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 8 Mar. 2011.
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THE END