Where do they come from?

As a vehicle’s engine heats up and burns gas Nitrogen and Oxygen are released and form to make Nitrogen Oxides. The Nitrogen Oxides react with ammonia, moisture, and other organic compounds in the air to form small particles that can be breathed in.

Ozone is created when Nitrogen Oxides come together with other organic compounds in the sunlight and heat. It is one the main ingredients of smog.

Why are they bad?

Nitrogen Oxides alone can cause breathing issues. People with pre-existing respiratory issues such as asthma can see a dramatic increase in their symptoms. Hospitals and other medical facilities have seen an increase in patients suffering from respiratory issues which has been linked to Nitrogen Oxides. The small particles that Nitrogen Oxides help to create once released in the air are small and capable of penetrating deep into the lungs worsening diseases in the lungs and heart.

Ozone, or ground level Ozone in this case, when breathed causes many of the same problems as Nitrogen Oxide alone: respiratory illness and even permanently scarred lung tissue. A major problem with Ozone is that it is most prevalent in hot weather which is most prominent in the…SUMMER when most people are outside, breathing in this floating dealer of death.

Both Nitrogen Oxides and Ozone can lead to premature death. Who is most at risk? People suffering from respiratory problems, the elderly, and children. Yes, children, they can’t even enjoy driving the vehicles that cause these problems.

Kids this generation spend too much time inside…

What else can they do?

Maybe the better question is what can’t it do…or kill? Ozone can damage vegetation and ecosystems, tree and plan foliage, is responsible for an estimated $500 million loss each year from crop production.