How Ozone Pollution Affects Your Health
The effects of ozone on lung health have been studied at length using laboratory animals, clinical subjects and human populations. The results are clear: ozone is dangerous at levels currently experienced in the United States. What we are still learning is just how dangerous ozone can be.
Two important studies released in late 2004 confirm that short-term exposure to ozone can kill. One study looked at 95 cities across the United States over a 14-year period. That study compared the impact of ozone on death patterns during several days after the ozone measurements. Even on days when ozone levels were below the current national standard, the researchers found an increased risk of premature death associated with increased levels of ozone. They estimated that over 3,700 deaths annually could be attributed to a 10 parts per billion increase in ozone levels.32 Another study, published the same week, looked at 23 European cities and found similar effects on mortality from ozone exposure.33
Five groups of people are especially vulnerable to the effects of breathing ozone. They are: children, senior citizens, people who work or exercise outdoors, people with pre-existing respiratory disease (i.e., asthma or COPD) and "responders" who are otherwise healthy but have an enhanced reaction to ozone.
The effect that ozone has on an individual’s health can vary depending on many factors, including: whether they fall into a susceptible population group, what the ozone concentration level is, how rapidly they breathe, and how long they are exposed to it.
Many areas in the United States produce enough ground-level ozone during the summer months to cause health problems that can be felt right away. These immediate problems are:
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shortness of breath,
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chest pain when inhaling deeply,
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wheezing and coughing and
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increased susceptibility to respiratory infections.
Exposure to ozone increases:
Short-term exposure to ozone has also been linked to aggravation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).35 Repeated inflammation due to exposure to ozone over a period of years can lead to a chronic "stiffening" of the lungs.
