Ozone Advisory - Your Lungs Are Burning

I finally read something that tells why ozone on the ground is bad aside from it being "pollution."
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Editorial: No Breathing Easy: Heed ozone danger;
your lungs will thank you
Dallas Morning News
Tuesday, June 28, 2005

"Picture the worst sunburn you ever saw. Now picture it inside your lungs.

"That's the picture you get from a couple of photos the EPA uses to illustrate the way breathing ground-level ozone sears lung tissue. The healthy tissue is the color of a white peach: creamy with tinges of pink. The ozone-inflamed tissue is the color of a ripe tomato.

"That's why it's important to pay attention and curtail outdoor activity – especially for children – when the ozone alert level climbs to orange or red. That's why anyone who believes that North Texas' air isn't a serious health hazard needs to come back from Washington and spend a couple of days in the emergency room at Children's Hospital.

"This summer may or may not turn out to be especially bad for our lungs. But it got an early start on the ozone season, with the first orange alert May 6 and the first red alert last Tuesday. If the bad days do continue to stack up, it may be tempting to ignore the warnings. Kids – and even adults – do not like being cooped up indoors. But before you blow off the cautions, consider these facts, taken directly from the EPA's Web site:

•Even at very low levels, ground-level ozone triggers a variety of health problems including aggravated asthma, reduced lung capacity and increased susceptibility to respiratory illnesses like pneumonia and bronchitis.
•Repeated exposure to ozone pollution for several months may cause permanent lung damage.
•Damage to children's developing lungs may lead to reduced lung function in adulthood. In adults, ozone exposure may accelerate the natural decline in lung function that occurs as part of normal aging.
•Ozone damage can occur without any noticeable signs. People who live in areaswhere ozone levels are frequently high may find that their initial symptoms goaway over time – particularly when exposure to high ozone levels continues forseveral days. Ozone continues to cause lung damage even when the symptoms have disappeared.

"For an hour-by-hour animated map of current ozone conditions, go towww.epa.gov/airnow/aqimaps.html. And enjoy your summer."