Reported July 2008

ABOUT OZONE: Ozone is a rare component of our atmosphere; there are about three molecules of ozone per every 10 million air molecules, and yet it plays a vital role in human health. Most ozone (90%) can be found in an upper layer of the earth's atmosphere called the stratosphere. It is beneficial because it absorbs most of the damaging ultraviolet sunlight, which can cause skin cancers, among other conditions. The remaining 10% of ozone can be found in a lower region called the troposphere. Here, it reacts with other molecules to produce smog, which has toxic effects on crops, forest growth, and human health.

SMOG MAKES BREATHING DIFFICULT: Smog is generally formed when ground level ozone, fine particles and other chemicals react on hot days. Smog and other pollution can trigger asthma attacks. Smog can make breathing difficult and make human beings more susceptible to cardio-respiratory diseases. People already suffering from heart or lung disease are particularly affected. The two main ingredients in smog that affect human health are ground-level ozone and fine airborne particle.

The American Meteorological Society, the American Geophysical Union, INFORMS, the American Mathematical Society, and the Mathematical Association of America contributed to the information contained in the TV portion of this report.

If you would like more information, please contact:

Prof. Tracey Holloway
University of Wisconsin-Madison
(608) 262-5356
taholloway@wisc.edu

American Meteorological Society
(617) 227-2425
http:// www.ametsoc.org

American Geophysical Union
1 (800) 966-2481
http:// www.agu.org

American Mathematical Society
1 (800) 321-4267
http:// www.ams.org

Mathematical Association of America
1 (800) 741-9415
http:// www.maa.org

Barry List
Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS)
(443) 757-3560
barry.list@informs.org