Ozone, friend or foe?

It's been too hot these past two days. Do you feel like summer has already arrived? Friends, don't just think about keeping cool. When you put on short-sleeved shirts and shorts, you should pay attention to one thing - the ozone concentration is high recently, so remember to take precautions. Some people say that ozone can kill bacteria, right? Then I should get more sun, which is just right for disinfection and sterilization. It seems that people don't know enough about ozone, so it's necessary to popularize it.

01 What is ozone?

Ozone is a molecule composed of three oxygen atoms. At room temperature, it is a light blue gas with a special smell, which is often likened to the smell of fish or grass.

02 Where is ozone?

Ozone mainly exists in the stratosphere of the atmosphere. The stratosphere is part of the vertical stratification of the atmosphere, located above the troposphere, about 10 to 50 kilometers above the ground. In this altitude range, the concentration of ozone is relatively high, especially at an altitude of 15 to 25 kilometers above the earth's surface, where the ozone content is the highest.

03 How is ozone produced?

There are two main ways that ozone is produced: natural and artificial.

In terms of natural generation, ozone mainly comes from the photochemical reaction of oxygen (O2) in the atmosphere under the action of ultraviolet rays, thus forming ozone.

In terms of anthropogenic generation, ozone is mainly formed under specific conditions due to pollutants emitted by human activities. For example, exhaust emissions from vehicles, petrochemicals, thermal power generation and other activities will produce nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, which will then form ozone under specific conditions.

04 What is the function of ozone?

Ozone can absorb a large amount of solar ultraviolet rays, thereby raising the temperature and forming an inversion layer. Therefore, ozone in the stratosphere plays an important role in protecting the Earth's biosphere. It can absorb most of the harmful parts of solar ultraviolet rays, prevent them from reaching the ground, and protect organisms from the harm of ultraviolet rays.

In addition, ozone can also disinfect, sterilize, and purify the air, and is widely used in the food industry, sewage treatment processes, and other aspects.

05 What effects does ozone have on the human body?

A small amount of ozone is generally not harmful to the human body, but if a large amount of ozone is inhaled, it may affect the lung function and cause certain damage to the respiratory tract. It may also affect the human nervous system, causing dizziness, headache, and nausea. Ozone may also interfere with the body's immune response process, weakening the body's defense against pathogens and increasing the risk of infection.

06 Why has the ozone concentration in the north increased in recent days?

In the next few days, the north will be dominated by sunny and hot weather, with strong solar radiation, high temperature and low humidity. In such an environment, volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides (NOx) formed by automobile exhaust will accelerate the photochemical reaction rate under the combined effect of high temperature and light radiation, catalyzing the production of ozone, thereby increasing the ozone concentration in the surface atmosphere.

Therefore, drying your quilt in the sun in sunny weather can allow ozone to disinfect and sterilize the quilt.

07 What should we do when ozone concentration increases?

Reduce going out and outdoor activities

Ozone usually appears at noon and reaches its peak at two or three o'clock in the afternoon, so during this time try to reduce going out and outdoor activities, and reduce the number of times indoor ventilation is used.

Take precautions when going out

If you have to go out, especially if you are a sensitive person, you need to take good protection and wear protective products such as hats, glasses and masks. You can choose masks with activated carbon interlayers to better filter ozone in the air.

Promote a green lifestyle

In daily life, we should try to reduce the use of volatile organic solvents, such as coatings and paints, to reduce the emission of VOCs (volatile organic compounds). At the same time, we should advocate the use of clean energy, such as solar energy and wind energy, to reduce the use of fossil fuels and thus reduce the emission of air pollutants.

In addition, remember to pay attention to local environmental monitoring information in a timely manner to understand the real-time changes in ozone concentration. When the ozone concentration is high, appropriate protective measures should be taken in a timely manner.

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