Filed Under: Environmental Issues | Westchester | Public Health

Smog

Ground-level ozone, or smog, is the brown haze that invades the summer air. It is created when mixtures of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides emitted from smokestacks and vehicles are “cooked” by the sun. The hotter the weather, the higher the ozone levels. When the weather turns cool, or when the needed chemical ingredients are not present, ozone breaks down and quickly dissipates. Unlike the ozone layer in the upper atmosphere that protects life on earth from ultraviolet radiation, ground-level ozone has no protective benefits; rather, it is a public health hazard that causes respiratory problems. It burns the lungs, stings the eyes, and makes breathing difficult for small children, the elderly and people with heart and lung diseases. Prolonged exposure impairs the ability to fight infections. Ozone is also dangerous to plant life because it damages plant tissues, inhibiting photosynthesis and making plants less resistant to pests, disease, drought and frost.

The New York metropolitan area was ranked thirteenth among the most ozone-polluted cities in the American Lung Association’s State of the Air Report for 2004. Westchester and the entire New York City area are still listed as a “severe non-attainment” zone for the EPA’s ozone air quality standards. New York City’s high ozone levels contribute to the city having the highest incidence of asthma in the United States.