The Good and Bad of Ozone

Ozone is produced when three instead of two oxygen atoms (O3) combines. Its an unstable and highly reactive form of Oxygen. From our perspective, Ozone is both useful and harmful for us.


Benefits of Ozone

• Ozone is found in Stratosphere which is part of the earth's upper atmosphere. At that level, Ozone helps us immensely by absorbing the extremely dangerous ultra-violet ray of the sun.
• Without Ozone we would have turned sick as soon as we came in contact with our skin. We would have got skin cancer, cataract etc. our crops would have been damaged. And it would have killed specific marine life.

Risks of Ozone

• The man-made Ozone that forms in the troposphere is extremely toxic and corrosive.
• people who inhale Ozone during repeated exposure may permanently damage their lungs or suffer from respiratory infections.
• Ozone exposure may reduce lung function or aggravate respiratory condition like asthma, emphysema or bronchitis.
• Ozone may also cause chest pain and coughing.

Overall, its better to stay away from direct contact with Ozone in the atmosphere, because its as harmful as helpful Oxygen is.