A new study shows Americans are at risk of unhealthy summertime ozone levels that are expected to increase by 70 percent by 2050, making it more difficult to keep ozone pollution in check.
Chemical reactions occur between volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides when there is sunlight. This can lead to ozone pollution when chemical reactions are spurred by evidences of a changing climate. Some of these evidences include warmer temperatures, higher atmospheric levels of methane, and other changes in the air. The use of coal and oil by humans, along with natural emissions from plants, are just some of the gases that cause chemical reactions.
Researchers from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) led by scientist Gabriele Pfister found that almost the entire continental US will suffer from unhealthy air at least a few days during the summer season. This can be prevented if emissions of certain ozone forming pollutants are reduced. Likewise, parts of the United States East, Midwest and West are threatened with unhealthy air during most of the summer season, as their ozone levels frequently surpass the recommended levels.
"It doesn't matter where you are in the United States - climate change has the potential to make your air worse. A warming planet doesn't just mean rising temperatures, it also means risking more summertime pollution and the health impacts that come with it," Pfister said in a press release.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set a threshold to determine the danger levels of ozone in parts per billion (ppb). If ppb levels reach 75 for more than eight hours, the agency considers it unhealthy. The researchers found that if the emissions continue at the current rate, the number of eight-hour periods, during which time the ozone level has exceeded the threshold, would jump on an average of 70 percent all across the US. Likewise, the agency is considering changing the ppb to a stricter standard value of 65 to 70 ppb over eight hours.
This study was published on The Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres.
