- Ozone is not generally emitted directly into the atmosphere, but is created by chemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the presence of sunlight.
- Emissions from industrial facilities and electricity generating stations, motor vehicle exhaust, fuel vapours, and chemical solvents are some of the major sources of NOx and VOCs.
- Ozone can even be created in a sunny indoor space where there is a presence of VOCs and nitrogen dioxide – for example in an office block next to a busy highway.
Breathing Ozone can:
- Make it more difficult to breathe deeply and vigorously.
- Cause shortness of breath, and pain when taking a deep breath.
- Cause coughing and sore or itchy throat.
- Inflame and damage the airways.
- Aggravate lung diseases such as asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis.
- Increase the frequency of asthma attacks.
- Make the lungs more susceptible to infection.
- Continue to long-term damage the lungs even when the symptoms have disappeared.
- Cause chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
