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Criteria Pollutants    At a Glance    In Depth
Nitrogen Dioxide
Nitrogen Dioxide

Ozone
Ozone

Carbon Monoxide
Carbon Monoxide

Sulfur Dioxide
Sulfur Dioxide

Particulate Matter
Particulate Matter

Lead
Lead

 

At a Glance

Ozone - O3
Ozone is a colorless, smelly, irritating gas made of 3 atoms of oxygen. It is created when volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides react with sunlight in the atmosphere. Ozone is a major ingredient of smog and is very toxic to humans and other life. High up in the stratosphere, ozone protects us from dangerous ultraviolet radiation from the sun, but at ground level it literally corrodes our lungs.

Source
60% of ozone's ingredients come from vehicle emissions and the rest come from industry and consumer products we buy every day.

How It Hurts
Ozone (O3) damages the lungs so that we can't inhale and exhale enough air and aggravates asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory problems. It also interferes with photosynthesis in plants.

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Ozone attacks the lungs
O3 attacks the lungs

Volatile organic compounds
Volatile Organic Compounds

Smog
Pollutants Add Up To Smog

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