Who is at the greatest risk from ground-level ozone?
Several groups are more sensitive to ozone when they are physically active outdoors. • Children: Active children are the group at highest risk from ozone exposure, since their lungs are still growing and developing. Children tend to be more active outdoors, and spend more time outdoors during ozone season. They tend to breathe faster and deeper, allowing ozone to penetrate deeper into the lungs, increasing the likelihood of damage. Also, asthma is the most common chronic disease for children and can be aggravated by ozone exposure. • Active Adults: Adults who are active outdoors either exercising or working vigorously are considered a sensitive group since they have a greater exposure to ozone than people who are less active or spend more time indoors. • Individuals with Respiratory Diseases: Asthma or other chronic respiratory diseases make lungs more vulnerable to the effects of ozone. • People with Unusual Sensitivity to Ozone: Some healthy people are more sensitive to ozone than ot
