Mar 11, 2025 · Learn the difference between good (stratospheric) and bad (tropospheric) ozone, how bad ozone affects our air quality, health, and environment, and what EPA is doing about it through regulations and standards.

Ground-level ozone (O 3), also known as surface-level ozone and tropospheric ozone, is a trace gas in the troposphere (the lowest level of the Earth's atmosphere), with an average concentration of 20–30 parts per billion by volume (ppbv), with close to 100 ppbv in polluted areas.

Mar 26, 2025 · Known as tropospheric or "ground-level" ozone, this gas is harmful to human heath and the environment. Since it forms from emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), these pollutants are regulated under air quality standards.

1 day ago · “Ozone at the ground-level is a carcinogen and it can affect our lungs, especially if you have respiratory issues,” said Andrew Kingston, lead meteorologist with the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services. “The main thing that drives ozone pollution up would be general combustion emissions.”

Ground-level ozone forms when two types of pollutants, volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides, react in sunlight. These pollutants come from sources such as vehicles, industries, power plants, and products such as solvents and paints.

Jun 20, 2024 · Tropospheric or ground-level ozone – what we breathe – is formed primarily from photochemical reactions between two major classes of air pollutants, volatile organic compounds (VOC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx).

Ozone acts as a protective layer high above the earth, but it can be harmful to breathe. Breathing ground level ozone can trigger a variety of health problems including chest pain, coughing, throat irritation, and congestion.

Ozone (O 3) is a gas that exists in two layers of the atmosphere: the stratosphere (upper layer) and the troposphere (ground level up to 10km). In the stratosphere, ozone protects life on Earth from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation.

Apr 2, 2025 · Ground-level ozone is a major air pollutant that shortens human lives and kills thousands each year, resulting in major economic impacts. It is formed when methane, nitrogen oxides and volatile ...

What is ground-level ozone? Ozone is a colorless gas formed when nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) chemically react in the sun. Ozone is a major component of smog — especially during the summer, when weather conditions are ripe for ground-level ozone to form. Good ozone vs. bad ozone