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Article: The two faces of ozone.
- Article from:
- Science News
- Article date:
- September 2, 1989
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1989 Science Service, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The Two Faces of Ozone
Summer in the city: a time for baseball games, barbecues and smog so noxious it sears the lungs.
From Los Angeles to Sao Paulo, the problem is ozone, a key element of urban smog. When ozone levels increase in the bottommost atmospheric layer, or troposphere, breathing can become a dangerous pastime, especially for asthma sufferers, exercisers and the elderly.
Ozone shows its kinder, gentler side more than 10 kilometers above Earth's surface. In this region, called the stratosphere, ozone molecules shield the planet by absorbing ultraviolet radiation that can harm plants, animals and humans, in which it can cause skin ...