Ozone, explained – NBC Boston

An air quality warning is in effect for much of southern New England until 11 p.m. Wednesday evening. The warning was issued by the US Environmental Protection Agency in advance of elevated ozone levels.

All of the areas alerted by the EPA were in far western Connecticut, central and eastern Massachusetts, southern New Hampshire and higher elevations in Acadia National Park in Maine.

If the values ​​are elevated, asthmatics and people with existing lung diseases may experience breathing difficulties. It is recommended to avoid strenuous outdoor activities.

Because of climate change, such warnings and days of reduced air quality could become more common — particularly for communities of color, pregnant women and older adults, all of whom are already vulnerable and exposed to unhealthy air.

The good, the bad and the ugly of ozone

Stratospheric ozone, known to most as the ozone layer, is located 10-30 miles above the Earth’s surface.

It protects us from too much UV radiation from the sun. This is good ozone. It acts as a sunshade for the world.

You can perform some basic maintenance on your home systems to keep the air healthy.

On the other hand, ground-level ozone is harmful. It is a pollutant that occurs in the lowest layers of the atmosphere through a series of chemical reactions between nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, heat and sunlight.

This is more common in the summer as UV radiation increases with longer days. Ozone is more common in urban areas due to increased traffic and pollution.