how is ozone toxic and harmful to us inspite it has only three atoms of oxygen which is not harmful to us in any way ???
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Ozone is very rare in our atmosphere, averaging about three molecules of ozone for every 10 million air molecules. In spite of this small amount, ozone plays a vital role in the atmosphere.
Ozone is a form of oxygen that comprises three atoms (O3) rather than the two atoms (O2) found in ordinary molecular oxygen.
Ozone is mainly found in two regions of the Earth's atmosphere. Most ozone (about 90%) resides in a layer that begins between 6 and 10 miles (10 and 17 kilometers) above the Earth's surface and extends up to about 30 miles (50 kilometers). This region of the atmosphere is called the stratosphere. The ozone in this region is commonly known as the ozone layer . Most of the remaining ozone is in the lower region of the atmosphere, which is called the troposphere. The figure (above) shows an example of how ozone is distributed in the atmosphere.
The level of maximum concentration is at about 25 km (15 mi) and approximately 10 ppm (parts per million); that is, for every one million molecules, 10 are ozone molecules.
The ozone molecules in the upper atmosphere (stratosphere) and the lower atmosphere (troposphere) are chemically identical, because they all consist of three oxygen atoms and have the chemical formula O3. However, they have very different roles in the atmosphere and very different effects on humans and other living beings. Stratospheric ozone (sometimes referred to as "good ozone") plays a beneficial role by absorbing most of the biologically damaging ultraviolet sunlight (called UV-B), allowing only a small amount to reach the Earth's surface. The absorption of ultraviolet radiation by ozone creates a source of heat, which actually forms the stratosphere itself (a region in which the temperature rises as one goes to higher altitudes). Ozone thus plays a key role in the temperature structure of the Earth's atmosphere. Without the filtering action of the ozone layer, more of the Sun's UV-B radiation would penetrate the atmosphere and would reach the Earth's surface. Many experimental studies of plants and animals and clinical studies of humans have shown the harmful effects of excessive exposure to UV-B radiation.
Because ozone is toxic to humans and many other animals and plants, ozone near the ground surface is sometimes referred to as "bad ozone". Naturally, very little ozone is present near the Earth's surface. But, due to human activities, harmful concentrations can develop under certain conditions. The process that creates ozone near the ground is known as photochemical smog. It occurs when vehicle exhaust, other industrial chemicals, and abundant sunlight mix together in a complicated series of chemical reactions. This can be a very big problem in large cities in the summertime. Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Washington D.C. are examples of cities where ozone concentrations sometimes reach dangerously high levels. The national weather service will issue ozone warnings when ozone levels become dangerously high near the ground. The rest of this page concerns only stratospheric ozone loss.
Ozone is a form of oxygen that comprises three atoms (O3) rather than the two atoms (O2) found in ordinary molecular oxygen.
Ozone is mainly found in two regions of the Earth's atmosphere. Most ozone (about 90%) resides in a layer that begins between 6 and 10 miles (10 and 17 kilometers) above the Earth's surface and extends up to about 30 miles (50 kilometers). This region of the atmosphere is called the stratosphere. The ozone in this region is commonly known as the ozone layer . Most of the remaining ozone is in the lower region of the atmosphere, which is called the troposphere. The figure (above) shows an example of how ozone is distributed in the atmosphere.
The level of maximum concentration is at about 25 km (15 mi) and approximately 10 ppm (parts per million); that is, for every one million molecules, 10 are ozone molecules.
The ozone molecules in the upper atmosphere (stratosphere) and the lower atmosphere (troposphere) are chemically identical, because they all consist of three oxygen atoms and have the chemical formula O3. However, they have very different roles in the atmosphere and very different effects on humans and other living beings. Stratospheric ozone (sometimes referred to as "good ozone") plays a beneficial role by absorbing most of the biologically damaging ultraviolet sunlight (called UV-B), allowing only a small amount to reach the Earth's surface. The absorption of ultraviolet radiation by ozone creates a source of heat, which actually forms the stratosphere itself (a region in which the temperature rises as one goes to higher altitudes). Ozone thus plays a key role in the temperature structure of the Earth's atmosphere. Without the filtering action of the ozone layer, more of the Sun's UV-B radiation would penetrate the atmosphere and would reach the Earth's surface. Many experimental studies of plants and animals and clinical studies of humans have shown the harmful effects of excessive exposure to UV-B radiation.
Because ozone is toxic to humans and many other animals and plants, ozone near the ground surface is sometimes referred to as "bad ozone". Naturally, very little ozone is present near the Earth's surface. But, due to human activities, harmful concentrations can develop under certain conditions. The process that creates ozone near the ground is known as photochemical smog. It occurs when vehicle exhaust, other industrial chemicals, and abundant sunlight mix together in a complicated series of chemical reactions. This can be a very big problem in large cities in the summertime. Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Washington D.C. are examples of cities where ozone concentrations sometimes reach dangerously high levels. The national weather service will issue ozone warnings when ozone levels become dangerously high near the ground. The rest of this page concerns only stratospheric ozone loss.
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