What are the health effects of ozone and particulate matter?
When inhaled, ozone irritates the respiratory system and can cause shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, and chest pain, as well as exacerbate allergies and respiratory diseases such as asthma. (Read more). In fact, recent studies have shown that ozone can actually cause asthma in children who are active outdoors in smoggy areas. Over 50,000 Californians are hospitalized yearly because of severe asthma attacks, and more young children are hospitalized every year for asthma than for any other cause. (Read more). Ozone not only aggravates the respiratory system temporarily; prolonged inhalation of unsafe levels of ozone can reduce lung function and development in children and permanently damage lung tissue.
