On days when ozone levels are high, these factors put children at increased risk for respiratory problems. Adults breathe more than 10,000 times each day. During exercise or strenuous work, we breathe more often and draw air more deeply into the lungs. When we exercise heavily, we may increase our intake of air by as much as 10 times our level at rest. The interaction between air pollution and exercise is so strong that health scientists typically use exercising volunteers in their research.
Materials damaged by ozone include rubber, nylon, plastics, dyes, and paints.
Also, many food crops are damaged by ground-level ozone each year. The agency forecasts days when conditions are likely to be favorable for ozone formation. The program asks people to take voluntary action on those days to prevent exceedances of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone. Since automobiles are the main culprit in ozone formation in Texas, we should try to limit our driving on Ozone Action Days. Actions like car pooling, riding the bus, riding a bicycle, consolidating errands, and avoiding rush hour add up to less pollution.