Ozone: Good or Bad?
OZONE: GOOD OR BAD?
Ozone is a form of oxygen that can be necessary for health and environmental preservation. It is also a major component of urban smog, and can cause serious health problems and environmental degradation. Whether ozone is is blessing or a curse depends on whether it is part of the air we breathe 
or whether it protects us from exposure to excessive sunlight. Many of us who live in large cities are familiar with the fact that ozone is an air pollutant produced from some of the gases which escape into the air from the exhaust pipes of cars and other motor vehicles, so-called "ground-level" ozone. What some people may not know is that ozone also floats far above the earth where it forms a barrier against harmful solar energy. This barrier is known as "stratospheric" ozone," also called the "ozone layer."
What Causes Ground-Level Ozone
The most common source of ground-level ozone is the use of fossil fuels derived from oil--most gasoline and diesel fuel used today--to run cars, buses, trucks, trains, airplanes and other equipment powered by internal combustion engines. When the fuel is ignited by sparks to produce the explosions which ultimately turns the wheels, the leftover gases are dumped into the air through exhaust pipes intended for that purpose. Ozone is produced from some of these gases, called ozone "precursors."
The presence of sunlight makes the ozone situation worse by providing the light needed to complete the chemical reaction which produces ozone. Since summertime heat is caused by increased sunlight, summer is the season in which the most severe ozone pollution occurs.
Another factor which can affect the amount of ozone in the air we breathe is the shape of the earth's surface in areas that are otherwise prone to ozone pollution. For example, the Los Angeles metropolitan area is well-known for its extensive use of motor vehicles. It sits at the bottom of a basin formed by a low area surrounded by mountains. The mountains hold sunlight and motor vehicle exhaust in the basin for long periods of time, and this buildup results in the highest ozone concentrations of any urban area in the country.
Ozone is a form of oxygen that can be necessary for health and environmental preservation. It is also a major component of urban smog, and can cause serious health problems and environmental degradation. Whether ozone is is blessing or a curse depends on whether it is part of the air we breathe
What Causes Ground-Level Ozone
The most common source of ground-level ozone is the use of fossil fuels derived from oil--most gasoline and diesel fuel used today--to run cars, buses, trucks, trains, airplanes and other equipment powered by internal combustion engines. When the fuel is ignited by sparks to produce the explosions which ultimately turns the wheels, the leftover gases are dumped into the air through exhaust pipes intended for that purpose. Ozone is produced from some of these gases, called ozone "precursors."
The presence of sunlight makes the ozone situation worse by providing the light needed to complete the chemical reaction which produces ozone. Since summertime heat is caused by increased sunlight, summer is the season in which the most severe ozone pollution occurs.
Another factor which can affect the amount of ozone in the air we breathe is the shape of the earth's surface in areas that are otherwise prone to ozone pollution. For example, the Los Angeles metropolitan area is well-known for its extensive use of motor vehicles. It sits at the bottom of a basin formed by a low area surrounded by mountains. The mountains hold sunlight and motor vehicle exhaust in the basin for long periods of time, and this buildup results in the highest ozone concentrations of any urban area in the country.