The stratospheric ozone layer exists 10 to 25 miles above the Earth's surface and protects us from harmful ultraviolet radiation, but down here in the troposphere, ozone buildup can impact human health, food security, and biodiversity.
What's happening?
Ground-level ozone isn't a direct emission. It's created when various precursor pollutants, such as methane, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds react together in sunlight, according to a Mongabay report.
"The problem with ozone is it's an incredibly active molecule and somewhat unstable in the environment. It interacts with everything it touches," Nathan Borgford-Parnell of the Climate & Clean Air Coalition said in an interview with the outlet.
Borgford-Parnell added that "the concerns are quite legion" given the range of planetary impacts.
Why is ground-level ozone so concerning?
Mongabay noted that the rise in global temperatures and subsequent heat waves are interacting with air pollution to create dangerous spikes in ground-level ozone, especially in the tropics.
This places a growing portion of the population in a health danger zone, where it can lead to respiratory issues, premature deaths, and even impact cardiovascular and reproductive systems.
According to the State of Global Air, long-term exposure to ground-level ozone contributed to an estimated 365,000 deaths globally, with 70% of these deaths occurring in India and China.
High ozone levels can also damage plants, limiting their growth and reducing their ability to soak up carbon dioxide — which, in turn, effectively doubles the climate impact of this highly reactive gas, Borgford-Parnell told Mongabay.
Ozone exposure has led to annual losses of nearly 160,000 tons of wheat, soybeans, corn, and rice, severely impacting global food security.
"Overall, we have decreased photosynthesis, growth, biomass, and yield of the plants," Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology professor Evgenios Agathokleous told Mongabay, leading to what he called a "cascade of ecological implications."
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Yes — always 💯 What's being done about ground-level ozone pollution?
Efforts to combat the buildup of tropospheric ozone are primarily involved in reducing methane emissions and lowering pollution from vehicles and power plants.
The Climate & Clean Air Coalition supports implementing methane control measures, and if adopted on a global scale, they could reduce methane emissions by up to 40%.
Choosing electric vehicles over gas-guzzlers and public transportation wherever possible can further reduce the buildup of planet-warming pollutants that contribute to the problem.
In addition, transitioning away from burning dirty fuels for energy and, instead, shifting to sources like wind and solar can have a major impact on reducing pollution and helping us reach our climate goals for a cleaner, healthier planet.
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