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Directories Int'l Realty US Realty
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Ozone: A Growing American Problem Stuart Lieberman, Esq., We all know that ozone is bad. But how many people understand why it's bad? For all of us who enjoy breathing, bad ozone is to be avoided. There is a difference also good ozone. Good ozone occurs naturally in the earth's upper atmosphere between 10-30 miles above the earth. At that level, it protects us from the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays. Unfortunately, it is gradually being destroyed by man-made chemicals. This is referred to as the "hole" in the earth's ozone layer. Contrast this with the "bad" ozone. At the ground level, ozone is formed when pollutants leave cars, power plants, and other industrial sources. Those pollutants act chemically in the presence of sunlight and form, among other things, ozone. Most people only have to worry about ozone exposure when ground levels are high. In many places in the United States, this happens during summer months. When this occurs, an increasing number of people experience health effects, including respiratory problems. When ozone levels are very high, everybody should be concerned about exposure. According to the government, there are four groups of people who are particularly sensitive to ozone. They are children, adults who work outdoors, people with respiratory illness, and certain persons who have an unusual susceptibility. In certain people, ozone can inflame the lung's lining and with repeated episodes of inflammation can even bring about permanent changes in the lungs. The EPA has developed an air quality index which defines areas of high pollution. They've even assigned specific colors for each air quality index color making it easier at a glance to determine which portions of the country are suffering from unhealthy air pollution levels. Do you want to know what you can do to reduce ozone levels? Drive less, carpool, make sure your car is well tuned, do not over fill your gas tank, and seal lids on certain chemicals that volatilize. Of course walking, biking, car pooling, and use of public transportation all help to reduce the amount of ozone in the environment. And it sets a good example for your children. Air pollution exists more in certain places than other places. If you have a choice of new neighborhoods, you might want to pick one that is less smog inclined. Of course, recognizing that a problem exists would be helpful in terms of fixing this problem. Unfortunately, our federal government is still in somewhat of a denial, one that it needs to get over.
The information provided in this column is written by Stuart Lieberman,a practicing environmental attorney, and is for general information purposes only. It is not legal advice and should not be used in place of legal advice.
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