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The purpose of this site is to provide information regarding a dangerous air pollutant on Long island: Ground Level Ozone. A workshop on Ground Level Ozone was held on March 7, 2009 at Stony Brook University. Links to the PowerPoint presentation can be found at the Workshops page. The American Lung Association (2008) gives Suffolk County on Long Island an F, as in Failing, for the periods of high concentrations of ground level ozone in its air. Even at low levels ozone can reduce lung function; cause acute respiratory problems; aggravate asthma; cause inflammation of lung tissue; and increase susceptibility to respiratory infection. People begin feeling the effects of ozone at levels greater than 50 parts per billion (ppb). Ground level ozone is also dangerous to plants. Increased levels of zone result in foliar injury and reduced growth in plants. This results in reduced crop yields and forest production. Plants can be affected at levels of 40 ppb and serious damage can occur at levels greater than 80 ppb. Ground level ozone is directly related to motor vehicle exhaust. It is created when sunlight on a hot sunny day interacts with organic compounds and nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere forming smog and ozone. Often the highest concentrations of ground level ozone are downwind of metropolitan areas, such as Suffolk County, where natural organic compounds from forested areas react with the nitrogen oxides. Newsday Article "Breathing Easy on Long Island" |
Photo of sweet gum leaves on Stony Brook University campus showing stippling caused by ground level ozone. Note leaf on upper right. The green area on the leaf was originally behind the leaf in the center of the photo. Photo taken in August 2008. |
Site maintained by Gilbert N. Hanson Department of Geosciences Stony Brook University |
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