Air quality in this area is expected to exceed the federal health standard for ozone on numerous days this summer.
Ozone is a major element of urban smog.
Ozone can lower resistance to colds and pneumonia, damage lung tissue, intensify heart and lung disease, and cause coughing and throat irritation. Even healthy adults who perform heavy physical exercise or manual labor outdoors experience the unhealthy effects of ozone. Other vulnerable individuals include the young, the elderly, and those with preexisting lung problems. Ozone is a colorless gas that can be found in the air we breathe. Each molecule of ozone is composed of three atoms of oxygen, one more than the oxygen molecule that we need to breathe.