• By Minor Barnette
• Posted Monday, October 5, 2015

Change to Ground Level Ozone Pollution Standard

Based on the latest science, and after reviewing thousands of scientific studies, the EPA has set the new ground level ozone standard at 70 parts per billion (ppb), a change of 5 ppb from the previous standard of 75 ppb.

Ground level ozone is formed by chemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the presence of sunlight. Pollution emissions which contribute to the formation of ground level ozone come from motor vehicle exhaust, various industrial processes, electricity generation and evaporating vapors (including gasoline) from human and natural biogenic sources.

Breathing ozone can trigger a variety of health problems, especially for children, older adults, people who are physically active outside, and anyone who has a lung disease such as asthma. Ground level ozone has also been shown to have harmful effects on vegetation and ecosystems. For more information, please contact Minor Barnette at (336) 703-2440 or via email to barnetwm@forsyth.cc.