In recent days harmful, ground-level ozone gas has exceeded PM2.5 as the primary air pollutant in Beijing. The warmer weather that we’ve been experiencing during the past few days has caused ozone levels to rise, Beijing’s environmental monitoring authority said on Monday.
Ground-level ozone gas is an entirely different thing than the protective layer of ozone in the upper atmosphere. This type of ozone is an air pollutant. It is created from a complicated reaction caused by the combination of sunlight on air that contains hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides. Sunny, cloudless days might cause harmful PM2.5 particles to drop. However, they also bring about an increase in ground-level ozone gas, Yibada reports.
The issue is that breathing ozone gas can be incredibly harmful. It can cause coughing, wheezing, tightness in the chest and shortness of breath. Ozone is also linked to impaired lung function, inflammation of the airways, cardiopulmonary problems and, in some cases, death.
Experts say that ozone levels reach their height during midday, when temperatures are at their highest and the sun is at its strongest. According to the Beijing Environmental Monitoring Center, the ozone level in Beijing reached a whopping 242 micrograms per cubic meter, which is considered “very unhealthy,” on Sunday afternoon. A normal, or healthy, number is between one and 50 micrograms per cubic meter.
On high ozone days, experts urge people to avoid going outdoors around noon. Unfortunately for us, masks don’t protect against ozone gas.
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