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exert a considerable impact on global warming, because it is a key air pollutant and greenhouse gas, and; impact the production of surface level ozone (contributing again to climate change). As a result, photochemical smog pollution at the earth's surface, as well as stratospheric ozone depletion, have received a lot of attention in recent years.
The small unabsorbed part that remains of UV-B after passage through ozone causes sunburn in humans, and direct DNA damage in living tissues in both plants and animals. Ozone's effect on mid-range UV-B rays is illustrated by its effect on UV-B at 290 nm, which has a radiation intensity 350 million times as powerful at the top of the atmosphere ...
Air pollution can cause diseases, allergies, and even death; it can also cause harm to animals and crops and damage the natural environment (for example, climate change, ozone depletion or habitat degradation) or built environment (for example, acid rain). [3] Air pollution can occur naturally or be caused by human activities. [4]
Each radical is then free to initiate and catalyze a chain reaction capable of breaking down over 100,000 ozone molecules. By 2009, nitrous oxide was the largest ozone-depleting substance (ODS) emitted through human activities. [15] The breakdown of ozone in the stratosphere results in reduced absorption of ultraviolet radiation.
Excessive ultraviolet radiation (UVR) has reducing effects on the rates of photosynthesis and growth of benthic diatom communities (microalgae species that increase water quality and are pollution resistant) that are present in shallow freshwater. [60] Ozone depletion not only affects human health but also has a profound impact on biodiversity.
Ozone absorbs strongly in the ultraviolet and in the stratosphere functions as a shield for the biosphere against mutagenic and other damaging effects of solar UV radiation (see ozone layer). [5] Tropospheric ozone is formed near the Earth's surface by the photochemical disintegration of nitrogen dioxide in the exhaust of automobiles. [10]
There are various links between the two fields of human-atmospheric interaction. Policy experts have advocated for a closer linking of ozone protection and climate protection efforts. [30] [31] Ozone is a greenhouse gas, [32] and changes in its atmospheric abundance due to human activity have radiative forcing effects.
These sections require the EPA "(1) to list widespread air pollutants that reasonably may be expected to endanger public health or welfare; (2) to issue air quality criteria for them that assess the latest available scientific information on nature and effects of ambient exposure to them; (3) to set primary NAAQS to protect human health with ...