What are the health effects of smog?
• Smog can cause health problems for all people especially the elderly, those who suffer from respiratory and cardiac problems and children because they breathe faster and spend more active time outdoors. Even healthy young adults breathe less efficiently on days when the air is heavily polluted. • As people spend more time outdoors in the spring and summer months exposure to smog increases. You are more likely to experience adverse health effects with an increase in the amount of smog you breathe in. • Sensitive people may experience symptoms after only one or two hours outdoors. • Studies have shown that smog can lead to premature death, increased hospital admissions, more emergency room visits and higher rates of absenteeism • Ground-level ozone, a major component of smog, affects the body’s respiratory system and causes inflammation of the airways that can continue several hours after exposure. Ground-level ozone can cause coughing, wheezing and chest tightness. In addition, existi
