OZONE ATMOSPHERIC

POLLUTION

Ozone in urban smog

J (Hans) van Leeuwen
 Ozone in the atmosphere
 Ozone: stratospheric good;
tropospheric bad
 Ground-level ozone resulting from
NOx +VOC +sunlight
 Statospheric ozone is formed
naturally and screens out harmful UV
 Ozone pollution is a regional problem
as it travels 100s of miles
Ozone production from NOx
Ozone production from NOx
Photochemical smog reactions

 N2 + O2  2NO
 2NO + O2  2NO2
 NO2 + h  NO + O
 O + O2 + M  O3 + M
 O3 + NO  NO2 + O2

These reactions are cyclical with little net O3

Hydrocarbons and water can remove NO
 Ozone production from NOx

Oxygen atoms freed from nitrogen dioxide by the action of sunlight

attack oxygen molecules to make ozone. Nitrogen oxide can combine
with ozone to reform nitrogen dioxide, and the cycle repeats.
Free radical reactions in air
 O + H2O  2OH.
 RH + OH.  R. + H2O
 R. + O 2  RO2.
 RO2. + NO  RO. + NO2
 RO. + O2  HO2. + R’CHO
 HO2. + NO  NO2 + OH.

Build-up of NO2, O3 and aldehydes results

- also PAN – peroxyacetyl nitrate
Free radical pathways to O3
Diurnal variations in NOx and O3
LA smog
Hourly Air Quality Report

http://www.airnow.gov/
Key NOx control for coal boilers
NOx control on cement plants
http://www.sonomatech.com/smogcity/
Use this to see the effects of weather
And human activities on ozone levels
 Ozone damage to lungs

This photo shows a healthy lung air way

and an inflamed lung air way.
Ozone can inflame the lung's lining, and repeated
episodes of inflammation may cause permanent
changes in the lung.
Ozone damage to plants
Ozone Concentration (ppm) Air Quality Air Quality
(8-hour average, unless noted) Index Values Descriptor

0.0 to 0.064 0 to 50 Good

0.065 to 0.084 51 to 100 Moderate

0.085 to 0.104 101 to 150 Unhealthy

(sensitive groups)
0.105 to 0.124 151 to 200 Unhealthy

0.125 (8-hr.) to 0.404 (1-hr.) 201 to 300 Very

Unhealthy
This map shows
ozone levels in
the eastern
United States
on August 24,
1998
http://www.epa.gov/cgi-bin/airnow.cgi?MapDate
61-79ppb

80-99ppb

100-110ppb
125+ O3
http://www.epa.gov/airnow
Ozone levels today http://airnow.gov/
 EPA Air Levels of Ozone: Air Quality Conditions
Quality Index Health Concern
0 to 50 Good The air quality for your community is considered
satisfactory and air pollution poses little or no risk.

51 to 100 Moderate Air quality is acceptable; however, people who are

unusually sensitive to ozone may experience respiratory
symptoms.
101 to 150 Unhealthy for Children and adults who are active outdoors and people
Sensitive Groups with respiratory disease are at greater risk from exposure
to ozone. When values are between this range members
of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The
general public is not likely to be affected when ozone
levels are in this range.
151 to 200 Unhealthy Everyone may begin to experience health effects.
Members of sensitive groups may experience more
serious health effects.

201 to 300 Very Unhealthy Ozone levels between 201 and 300 trigger a health alert,
meaning everyone may experience more serious health
effects.
301 to 500 Hazardous Ozone values over 300 trigger health warnings of
emergency conditions. The entire population is more likely
to be affected. Hazardous ozone values are extremely
rare in the U.S.