Ozone can cause iritation of the throat and lungs, tightness of the chest, pain and difficulty in breathing, wheezing, and coughing . This can happen at the high levels of ozone found for one or more hours on a sunny, hazy day during the summer. Areas near cities usualiy have the highest levels of ozone. H owever, high levels can also be found in many suburban and rural areas. People who are most at risk from the short term health effects of ozone are children, the elderiy, and people wlth asthma or other lung diseases.
Health effects are greatiy Increased by exercising outdoors durlng hot, hazy, sunny days with smog.
This can affect healthy people as well. There is concern among the health experts that exposure to ozone over time may permanenty reduce the lung's ability to work. This can lead to long-term lung damage. Regarding the environment, studies by ecologists show that higher levels of ozone can reduce the yields of some crops. The sunlight is Interacting with pollutants to form ozone during mid-day, which can travel great distances downwind by evening.