Evening star., 1950-11-15
Rare Gas Ozone Studied
To Find Nature of 'Smoq'
Form of Oxygen Discovered
To Be Powerful Irritunt
By Thomas R. Henry

AS much as two-millionth of the
air we breath may be composed of the
rare gas ozone.
Even in such minute amounts, it has
notable effects, in areas where it is
concentrated, in such ways as the rapid
deterioration of rubber
This finding comes from an intensive
analysis of the atmosphere close to the
earth's surface undertaken by the Re-
search Institute of Leland Stanford
University, in an effort to determine the
nature of "smog."
Ozone is a form of oxygen in which
three oxygen atoms are combined in
molecule, instead of two. as ordinarily
is the case. For the past rs years it has
been known that this gas is absolutely
essential to life on earth. There is
three-layered blanket of it in the upper
atmosphere which shields the earth'S
surface from the shorter ultraviolet
radiation from the sun which, if it came
through, soon would make life impossible.
Exhilarating Effect.
The gas has a pungent odor and the
effect of breathing it in minute quantities
is exhilarating. Early in the century
the idea arose that it was healthful and
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basis for the claim, began to boast of
the ozone content of their air
1t now is known that the gas is q
powerful irritant. When "smog" is
present in heavy concentration, an odor
resembling that of ozone frequently is
detected.
The Stanford Institute scientists were
able to measure it in extremely minute
nIlontitinc hxy nf methods tNf
chemical analysis. The amounts in the
air, it was determined, vary greatly from
place to place.
Analysis conducted during the day
have shown that the ozone content of
the atmosphere drops Immediately on
the setting of the sun. 1t also appears
to be much lower inside building than
outside during daylight.
Rubber bands placed on the roof of the
laboratory showed much more rapid de-
terioration than those not exposed to
the atmosphere but exposed to sunlight.
Exposure to beta radiation, streams
of electrons, is like exposure to tongues
of flame, except that the soaring and
blistering gets worse steadily for
month.
Effects of bombardment of the flesh
with these atomic rubber balls, the least
dangerous of the radiation encountered
in an atomic bomb explosion or in
atomic energy plants, is reported in the
journal, General Practise Clinics, of the
Washington Institute of Medicine.
Three other kinds of radiation come
from atomic explosions-gamma or x
rays, alpha particle and neutrons. The
effects of these three are well known
and may easily be fatal. But the electron
streams of beta radiation cannot get
under the skin.
Volunteers Expose Hands.
Two scientists at one of the Govern
ment tests voluntarily exposed their
hands to beta rays At the time they
reported only tingling sensation. In
few hours the hands became swollen.
but did not redden until after the
second day. Blisters began to develop
from the third to the 14th days and
grew larger until, in the fourth week
after exposure, they covered the entire
palms and fingers.
The height of the reaction in each
case was reached between the 25th and
the 30th day after exposure. The person
with the mildest injury was completely
recovered in SO days. Another had
complete growth of new skin in 10 days
but the new skin was so delicate that
it broke down several months later and
it was necessary to use plastic surgery.
The whole picture. reports the journal,
is much closer to that of burning with
fire than to X-ray injuries and there is
no comparison with the injuries due to
alpha particles or neutrons.