Air currents then scatter this ozone all over the Lake Michigan region, where we all breathe it. It reacts chemically with plants, rubber, and the tissues of living creatures - including you. In fact, kids and elderly people are affected the most. Ozone has no color, no taste, and not much odor. It may sound harmless, but it has the ability to irritate your lungs or break down your lung tissues.
Ozone can cause an asthma attack, and it can make asthma attacks worse than usual.
Even people who don t have asthma can have trouble breathing on days with high levels of ground-level ozone, especially people who spend a lot of time outdoors. Even though we can t see it, scientists know ground-level ozone exists. They can measure it using special instruments that detect what s in the air we breathe. Ground-level ozone can also damage the leaves of plants and trees. Some plants affected include soybeans, clover, onions, spinach, alfalfa, and milkweed.