NEWS ALERT: OZONE!

Is the beautiful city of San Diego plagued by ozone pollution that will cause respiratory problems in many of its citizens?

The University of San Diego’s Environmental Chemistry class recently tested the ozone levels both indoors and outdoors to determine what sort of levels people are being exposed to and whether or not certain machines, such as copiers and blenders may be producing ozone in enclosed environments. The typical chemistry major spends a great deal of time not only in the Shiley Center of Science and Technology but also outside studying on beautiful, sunny San Diego afternoons. So in this experiment, the five members of the Environmental Chemistry class, Shannen Cravens, Amanda Walker, Donald Millar, Jacob Turley, and Hadley Krizner, tested the levels in these areas to see what sort of levels of ozone students are being exposed to. The picture below shows Jacob Turley and Hadley Krizner setting up the sampling apparatus to test ozone levels in the copy room.

Exposure to increased ozone levels is harmful to both humans and ecosystems. In humans, ozone causes airway irritation and difficulty breathing.¹ It can also aggravate asthma, increase susceptibility to respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis and pneumonia, and cause permanent lung damage with too much exposure.¹ Ozone damages the leaves of trees and other plants, reduces forest growth and crop yields, and makes sensitive plants more susceptible to diseases, insects, and harsh weather.¹ Since ozone is so harmful to humans and the environment, many countries have established limits for maximum allowable ozone concentrations in the air. Ozone concentrations in the air are often difficult to measure because the levels change throughout the day as other pollutants released into the air break down to create ozone. An article for USA Today last March describes the harmful effects that ozone pollution can cause humans and also contains a list of the ozone levels in many major American cities.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-03-11-ozone-illness_N.htm

The concentrations of ozone were found to be higher outdoors than indoor, which indicates that pollution from cars and factories that produce smog are affecting the levels of ground-level ozone a great deal. However, the outdoor levels were under the United States limit of 80 ppb, at 52-56 ppb. The indoor ozone levels ranged 22-32 ppb, the highest level was in the copy room while no copies were being made. This experiment was inconclusive in finding evidence that certain machines, such as copiers and blenders, produce significant amounts of ozone. The picture below shows the testing of ozone levels in a copy room in the University of San Diego’s Shiley Center for Science and Technology.

Although the student’s testing was inconclusive in many regards, the findings of this experiment shows that pollution is causing increased levels of ground-level ozone in our atmosphere makes this experiment an important one in further understanding the levels of different pollutants, in this case ozone, that the average person is exposed to and how this might effect their health and the health of the environment.

¹"Health and Environment | Ground-level Ozone | US EPA." U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 14 Feb. 2010. .