How does ground level ozone affect us?
Even at low levels ozone can cause a number of respiratory effects. Active children are at highest risk because they spend a lot of time outdoors in the summer. They breathe faster and have less body mass. Active adults who play hard and work hard outside are also at risk, as well as the elderly and those people with asthma or other respiratory diseases. Ozone exceedances can also impact the economic health of our region. Should we have another day where ozone levels are high, our region could be designated as non-attainment. This could jeopardize our ability to attract new business or grow the ones we have, we could lose federal highway dollars, and the State could impose certain actions such as a car inspection program. Although many metropolitan areas in the U.S. will be designated as non-attainment, this is not a label we want on our region. What can we do? Our region has formed an Ozone Action Partnership. Government, industry, academia, and the medical community have organized th
