Ozone

{
  "id": "MLC-T-ENV-020091",
  "term": "Ozone",
  "field": "Environment",
  "definition": "1. Found in two layers of the atmosphere, the stratosphere and the troposphere. In the stratosphere (the atmospheric layer 7 to 10 miles or more above the earth's surface) ozone is a natural form of oxygen that provides a protective layer shielding the earth from ultraviolet radiation.In the troposphere (the layer extending up 7 to 10 miles from the earth's surface), ozone is a chemical oxidant and major component of photochemical smog. It can seriously impair the respiratory system and is one of the most widespread of all the criteria pollutants for which the Clean Air Act required EPA to set standards. Ozone in the troposphere is produced through complex chemical reactions of nitrogen oxides, which are among the primary pollutants emitted by combustion sources; hydrocarbons, released into the atmosphere through the combustion, handling and processing of petroleum products; and sunlight.\n\n2. Three molecule oxygen compound found in two layers of the earth's atmosphere. One layer of beneficial ozone occurs at seven to 18 miles above the surface and shields the earth from ultraviolet light. Several holes in this protective layer have been documented by scientists. Ozone also concentrates at the surface as a result of reactions between by-products of fossil fuel combustion and sunlight, having harmful health effects.\n\n3. Ozone (O3) is a colorless gas with a pungent odor. It is found in two layers of the atmosphere, the stratosphere and the troposphere. In the stratosphere, ozone provides a protective layer shielding the Earth from ultraviolet radiation's potentially harmful health effects. At ground level (the troposphere), ozone is a pollutant that affects human health and the environment, and contributes to the formation of smog.\n\n4. A chemical that is made of three oxygen atoms joined together, and found in the Earth's atmosphere. There are two kinds of ozone: good ozone, and bad ozone. Good ozone is found high in the Earth's atmosphere, and prevents the sun's harmful rays from reaching the Earth. Bad ozone is found low to the ground, and can be harmful to animals and humans because it damages our lungs, sometimes making it difficult to breathe.\n\n5. A gas that results from complex chemical reactions between nitrogen dioxide and volatile organic compounds; the major component of smog.\n\n6. A molecule composed of three atoms of oxygen (O3). Ozone is a bluish gas that is harmful to breathe. Nearly 90% of the Earth's ozone is in the stratosphere and is referred to as the ozone layer. Ozone absorbs a band of ultraviolet radiation called UVB that is particularly harmful to living organisms. The ozone layer prevents most UVB from reaching the ground.\n\n7. A gas which is a variety of oxygen. The oxygen gas found in the air consists of two oxygen atoms stuck together; this is molecular oxygen. Ozone consists of three oxygen atoms stuck together into an ozone molecule. Ozone occurs in nature; it produces the sharp smell you notice near a lightning strike. High concentrations of ozone gas are found in a layer of the atmosphere -- the stratosphere -- high above the Earth. Stratospheric ozone shields the Earth against harmful rays from the sun, particularly ultraviolet B. Smog's main component is ozone; this ground-level ozone is a product of reactions among chemicals produced by burning coal, gasoline and other fuels, and chemicals found in products including solvents, paints, hair sprays, etc.\n\n8. Found in two layers of the atmosphere, the stratosphere and the troposphere. In the stratosphere (the atmospheric layer 7 to 10 miles or more above the earth's surface) ozone is a natural form of oxygen that provides a protective layer shielding the earth from ultraviolet radiation. In the troposphere (the layer extending up 7 to 10 miles from the earth's surface), ozone is a chemical oxidant and major component of photochemical smog. It can seriously impair the respiratory system and is one of the most wide- spread of all the criteria pollutants for which the Clean Air Act required EPA to set standards. Ozone in the troposphere is produced through complex chemical reactions of nitrogen oxides, which are among the primary pollutants emitted by combustion sources; hydrocarbons, released into the atmosphere through the combustion, handling and processing of petroleum products; and sunlight.\n\n9. A gas made up of three atoms of oxygen bonded together. High in the atmosphere, ozone naturally shields the Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation that comes from the sun. Closer to the Earth's surface, ozone is a pollutant that is formed by other pollutants that react with each other. Ozone is also a greenhouse gas.\n\n10. A gas that is a form of oxygen. Ozone can be good if it is high in the atmosphere because it protects us from the harmful rays of the sun. Ozone is bad when it is close to the ground because it is a major air pollutant that can cause respiratory illnesses.\n\n11. Ozone, the triatomic form of oxygen (O₃), is a gaseous atmospheric constituent. In the troposphere, it is created by photochemical reactions involving gases resulting both from natural sources and from human activities (photochemical smog). In high concentrations, tropospheric ozone can be harmful to a wide range of living organisms. Tropospheric ozone acts as a greenhouse gas. In the stratosphere, ozone is created by the interaction between solar ultraviolet radiation and molecular oxygen (O2). Stratospheric ozone plays a decisive role in the stratospheric radiative balance. Depletion of stratospheric ozone, due to chemical reactions that may be enhanced by climate change, results in an increased ground-level flux of ultraviolet (UV-) B radiation. See atmosphere, ultraviolet radiation.\n\n12. A colorless gas with a pungent odor, having the molecular form of O₃, found in two layers of the atmosphere, the stratosphere and the troposphere. Ozone is a form of oxygen found naturally in the stratosphere that provides a protective layer shielding the Earth from ultraviolet radiation's harmful health effects on humans and the environment. In the troposphere, ozone is a chemical oxidant and major component of photochemical smog. Ozone can seriously affect the human respiratory system.\n\n13. A very reactive oxidant containing three atoms of oxygen.\n\n14. A molecule consisting of three oxygen atoms. Ozone strongly absorbs short wavelength ultraviolet light and consequently protects life on earth from the damaging effects of this radiation. It is also a very reactive compound, which makes it a harmful air pollutant at the surface. Repeated exposure to ozone can make people more susceptible to respiratory infection and lung inflammation, and can aggravate preexisting respiratory diseases, such as asthma. Sometimes people refer to \"good\" (stratospheric) ozone and \"bad\" (surface) ozone.\n\n15. A gas composed of three atoms of oxygen. Ozone is a bluish gas that is harmful to breathe. Nearly 90% of the Earth's ozone is in the stratosphere and is referred to as the ozone layer. Ozone absorbs a band of ultraviolet radiation called UVB that is particularly harmful to living organisms. The ozone layer prevents most UVB from reaching the ground.\n\n16. Colorless gas with a pungent odor, having the molecular form O3.\n\n17. While ozone in the stratosphere can help protect us from ultraviolet rays, ground-level ozone poses health risks. Ground-level ozone does not come from a single source, but is formed in the air through a complex series of reactions involving light and chemical precursors like Nitrogen Oxides (NOₓ) and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). Human and naturally occurring processes contribute to Ozone concentrations via NOₓ and VOC emissions. Breathing ozone can trigger a variety of health problems, particularly for children, the elderly, and people with lung diseases such as asthma. Ground level ozone can also have harmful effects on sensitive vegetation and ecosystems.\n\n18. Ozone, the triatomic form of oxygen (O₃), is a gaseous atmospheric constituent. In the troposphere, it is created by photochemical reactions involving gases resulting both from natural sources and from human activities (photochemical smog). In high concentrations, tropospheric ozone can be harmful to a wide range of living organisms. Tropospheric ozone acts as a greenhouse gas. In the stratosphere, ozone is created by the interaction between solar ultraviolet radiation and molecular oxygen (O2). Stratospheric ozone plays a decisive role in the stratospheric radiative balance. Depletion of stratospheric ozone, due to chemical reactions that may be enhanced by climate change, results in an increased ground-level flux of ultraviolet (UV-) B radiation.\n\n19. A gas that results from complex chemical reactions between nitrogen dioxide and volatile organic compounds; the major component of smog. Ozone at the ground level is one of the six \"criteria\" pollutants for which EPA has established national ambient air quality standards.\n\n20. Ground level ozone is not emitted directly into the air, but is created by chemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen (NOₓ) and volatile organic compounds (VOC). This happens when pollutants emitted by cars, power plants, industrial boilers, refineries, chemical plants, and other sources chemically react in the presence of sunlight. Ozone at ground level is a harmful air pollutant, because of its effects on people and the environment, and it is the main ingredient in “smog.\"\n\n21. The environmental burden indicator for ozone measures how much ground-level ozone people might be exposed to by looking at the highest levels of ozone recorded at the ground-level and averaging the top ten days of the year. Ozone concentrations were measured as daily maximum eight-hour averages. EJScreen presents ground-level ozone concentrations using percentile rank, ranging from 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest). This indicator does not designate compliance with the national ambient air quality standard for ozone.\n\n22. For more details on the ozone indicator, including why it is important and what you can do moving forward, please visit the EJScreen Indicator Overview for Ozone (https://www.epa.gov/ejscreen/ejscreen-indicator-overviews-ozone).",
  "abbreviation": "O3",
  "synonyms": [
    "Tropospheric ozone",
    "O₃"
  ],
  "subject": "Air",
  "references": [
    "Terms of Env",
    "Environmental Issues Terms & Acronyms; Environmental Issues Glossary",
    "Heat Island Effect Glossary",
    "Acid Rain Glossary",
    "Childrens Health Protection Glossary",
    "SunWise Program Glossary",
    "Air Permitting Terms",
    "Terms of Environment",
    "Student's Guide to Global Climate Change",
    "Acid Rain Students Site: Glossary",
    "Glossary of Climate Change Terms",
    "Greenhouse Gas Emissions",
    "I-BEAM Glossary of Terms",
    "Glossary for UV Database",
    "Ozone Layer Protection Glossary",
    "40 CFR 59.503 (CFR 2013)",
    "Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) Glossary",
    "America's Children and the Environment Terms",
    "Glossary for Air Pollution Terms in Particle Pollution and Your Patients' Health",
    "EPA Office of Air and Radiation",
    "Glossary of EJSCREEN Terms"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/environment/ozone/"
}