The confusion persists because there is in fact good and bad ozone. The ozone layer in the upper atmosphere is essential because it filters harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun, reducing the amount reaching the earth s surface. On the other hand, high accumulations of ozone in the lower atmosphere near ground level can be harmful to people, animals, crops and other materials. Ground-level ozone is the most pervasive air quality problem in Texas and the nation.
Ozone is a form of oxygen with three atoms, instead of the usual two atoms.
It is a phytochemical oxidant and, at ground level, is the main component of smog. These gaseous compounds mix like a thin soup in the ambient, or outdoor air, and when they interact with sunlight, ozone is formed. Sources of these pollutants include automobiles, gas-powered motors, refineries, chemical manufacturing plants, solvents used in dry cleaners and paint shops, and wherever natural gas, gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene and oil are combusted. Ozone pollution is the periodic increase in the concentration of ozone in the ambient air, the natural air that surrounds us. It is mainly a daytime problem during the summer months because warm temperatures play a role in its formation.