The Dangerous Effects Of Ozone
Triatomic oxygen, O3, is most commonly known as ozone. It has a
resonance structure, and can be drawn in two different ways:
O=O- O-O=O It is a bluish, explosive gas at room temperature, and has a
boiling point of -119?C. It has a melting point of -193?C, and is a
blue liquid. It's critical temperature and pressure are -12.1?C and
53.8 atm, respectively. It has a pleasant odor in concentrations of
less than 2 ppm, and is irritating and injurious in higher
concentrations. The density of ozone gas is 2.144 g/L, and the density
of ozone as a liquid is 1.614 g/mL. It is extremely unstable, and
solutions containing ozone explode upon warming. It is found in varying
proportions on Earth, but it is about 0.05 ppm at sea level.
Ozone absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation in the upper atmosphere,
and protects humans from skin cancer. But ozone is also the main
ingredient of smog, and causes serious health effects and forest and
crop damage in the lower atmosphere. Ozone is formed through the
chemical reaction of volatile organic compounds and nitrogen dioxide,
in the atmosphere, in the presence of sunlight. This reaction is called
a photochemical reaction, because sunlight is required. The product is
known as smog. The notorious brownish color of smog is due to nitrogen
dioxide of the mixture. Increased temperature stimulate the reaction,
which is why ozone conditions are worse in the summer. It is an
oxidant, meaning it takes electrons away from other molecules, and
disrupts key structures in cells by starting chain reactions.
Ozone is a serious national problem. Half of the largest urban areas in
the United States exceed the ozone standards. The worst regions in the
US include California and the Texas Gulf coast, and the northeast and
the Chicago-Milwaukee area during...
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