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Have you ever noticed a brown haze above a city’s skyline? Had a hard time breathing on a hot day? If you have, you have experienced air pollution. There are two types of pollution: ozone and soot (particulate matter).
Ozone
Ozone is a colorless, odorless gas that can be found in the air we breathe. There is good ozone and bad ozone, depending on where it is found.
- Good Ozone is found in the ozone layer, high above the Earth’s surface. It screens out the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays.
- Bad Ozone is found near the Earth’s surface. It is formed when pollutants from our cars, power plants, and other sources bake in the sun. Ozone pollution is the worst during the summer months.
Soot (Particulate Matter)
Our air is affected year-round by soot pollution. Some particles are large or dark enough to be seen, but others are so small they can only be seen with a microscope! Soot is formed by burning wood, coal, natural gas, gasoline, and diesel fuel. Because people burn wood in their fireplaces or let their cars warm up before driving during the winter, soot pollution levels can be a problem even when it’s cold outside.
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