Ozone Travels

You may think that ozone is a city problem. But ozone travels and now affects the countryside.

When volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, and nitrogen oxide from motor vehicles and power plants fill the air on a hot sunny day, ozone is created. We usually think of ozone as a problem for city dwellers, but ozone and the pollutants that cause ozone can be carried hundreds of miles from the source of pollution.

A study by research ecologists in New York found that Eastern cottonwood trees in New York City were growing twice as fast as those in the rural areas of the state. When they looked at the final analysis of possible pollutants that might be affecting the trees, it was the higher levels of ozone that handicapped the rural trees.

It turns out that in cities, the ozone is broken down by the very chemicals that create it, while in rural areas the ozone lasts longer. The researchers concluded that it was not so much the city trees that were thriving as it was the country trees suffering from ozone exposure.

To avoid contributing to ozone pollution: Limit driving. Avoid excessive idling of your automobile. Keep your car well-tuned. Refuel your car carefully and in the evening when it is cooler. Limit the use gasoline-powered equipment. Conserve energy at home, at work, and everywhere.