When inhaled, ozone can cause serious harm to the lungs. Even small amounts can lead to chest pain, coughing, difficulty breathing, and throat irritation. Ozone can also worsen existing respiratory conditions, such as asthma, and weaken the body's ability to fight off respiratory infections. Ozone (O) is a gas molecule composed of three oxygen atoms.
Ozone, often referred to as photochemical smog, is hazardous to breathing. It aggressively attacks lung tissue by reacting chemically with it. When ozone is present, other dangerous pollutants are also created by the same processes that produce ozone. Inhaling tropospheric ozone can be detrimental to health.
Inhaling ozone causes inflammation and irritation of the tissues that line the human respiratory tract, resulting in and exacerbating various symptoms. Exposure to ozone can reduce the amount of air the lungs take in and make it difficult to breathe. Ozone in large doses increases the permeability of lung cells, making them more vulnerable to toxins and microorganisms. The occurrence and severity of health effects from exposure to ozone vary greatly from person to person, even when the dose and duration of exposure are the same.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) indicates when air pollution is likely to reach levels that could be harmful. An individual's exposure rate is related to the concentration of ozone in the surrounding air and to the amount of air the person breathes per minute (ventilation per minute).