Chief Causes of Ozone Concern

Ground-level Ozone Characteristics

• The summertime pollutant: Peak ozone levels typically occur during hot, dry, stagnant summertime conditions. The length of the ozone season varies from one area of the United States to another. Southern and Southwestern states may have an ozone season that lasts nearly the entire year.
• Ozone can be transported over long distances: Ozone and the chemicals that react to form it can be carried hundreds of miles from their origins, causing air pollution over wide regions. Millions of Americans live in areas where ozone levels exceed EPA’s health-based air quality standards, primarily in parts of the Northeast, the Lake Michigan area, and parts of the Southeast, southeastern Texas, and parts of California.
• May cause permanent lung damage after long-term exposure
• Damages plants and ecosystems