What are the harmful health effects of ozone?
• Ozone can irritate the respiratory system. Ozone can cause coughing, irritate your throat, eyes, or nose, and/or cause headaches. These symptoms can last for a few hours after ozone exposure and may even become painful. • Ozone can reduce lung function. “Lung function” refers to the amount of air that you draw in when you take a full breath and the speed at which you are able to blow it out. Ozone can make it more difficult for you to breathe as deeply and quickly as you normally would. • Ozone can aggravate asthma. When ozone levels are high, more asthmatics have asthma attacks that require a doctor’s attention or the use of additional medication. Ozone makes people more sensitive to allergens (such as dust mites, pets, and pollen) which are the most common triggers for asthma attacks. • Ozone can inflame and damage the lining of the lung. Ozone’s effect on the lining of the lung is comparable to the effect of sunburn on the skin. Ozone damages the cells that line the air spaces in
