How Does Ozone Affect Me?

Health Issues

Breathing high concentrations of ozone can cause shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, headaches, nausea, and throat and lung irritation. Roughly one out every three people in the United States has a higher risk of experiencing ozone-related health effects.

Ozone irritates the respiratory system causing coughing, throat irritation and/or an uncomfortable sensation in the chest. It can inflame and damage the lining of the lungs, much like sunburn on the inside of the lungs. Studies suggest that if this happens repeatedly over months or years the lung tissue may become permanently scarred, resulting in less lung elasticity, reduced or permanent loss of lung function and capacity, and a lower quality of life. Ozone aggravates asthma and other respiratory diseases and reduces the immune system’s ability to fight off bacterial infections in the respiratory system. Exposure to higher levels of ozone can accelerate the natural decline in lung function that occurs as part of the normal aging process. Some people experience symptoms with just moderate levels of outdoor exertion, or even when there are lower ozone levels.

Ozone damage can occur without any noticeable signs. People who live in high ozone areas may find that their initial symptoms go away over time, but lung damage can remain even when the symptoms have disappeared. The best way to protect your health and the health of your family is to familiarize yourself with the Air Quality Index (AQI) which has colored indicators of air quality: green (good), yellow (moderate), orange (unhealthy for sensitive people), red (unhealthy) and violet (very unhealthy) for the ozone forecast and take simple precautions to minimize exposure even when you don’t feel obvious symptoms.

Who is Most Affected?

People most affected by ozone include children, senior citizens, people who work or exercise outdoors, people with pre-existing respiratory disease (i.e., asthma or COPD), and some people who are otherwise healthy but react badly to ozone.

Kids

Children’s lungs are still developing and they breathe more rapidly and inhale more air – and air pollution -- per pound of body weight than adults. On days when ozone levels are high, these factors put kids at greater risk for respiratory problems. Children make up about 25 percent of the population, but they account for about 40 percent of all asthma cases. Recent studies indicate that children who are active in high ozone environments have diminished lung capacity and are at risk of developing asthma and other respiratory illnesses or aggravating pre-existing respiratory problems.

Active People

During exercise or strenuous work people breathe more often and draw air more deeply into their lungs. We can increase our intake of air by ten times more than our level at rest. Ozone can irritate the respiratory system causing coughing, throat irritation and/or an uncomfortable sensation in the chest. It can inflame and damage the lining of the lungs, like sunburn on the inside of the lungs. Studies suggest that if this happens repeatedly over months or years, the damage becomes permanent resulting in less lung elasticity and reduced lung function. Ozone aggravates asthma and other respiratory diseases and reduces your immune system’s ability to fight off respiratory infections.

Environmental Damage

Ground-level ozone has caused an estimated $3 billion dollars per year in reduced crop production in the United States, affecting Arizona crops like citrus and cotton. Ozone interferes with the ability of plants to produce and store food and makes them more susceptible to disease, insect infestation, environmental stresses and other pollutants.