The European Environment Agency (EEA) presents some useful information to avoid harmful ozone pollution this summer. According to the agency, high summer temperatures combined with air pollution can cause ground-level ozone to form, which has serious effects on health, especially for older people or children, or those with asthma and other breathing problems.

Excessive ground-level ozone can cause breathing problems, trigger asthma, reduce lung function and cause lung diseases. The mortality rate rises with increases in ozone exposure, according to several European studies. Therefore, the European Environment Agency (EEA) presented some useful information on protecting citizens health from ground-level ozone this summer. In April 2012, the Agency already warned to Member States that they should make an extra effort to reduce summer ozone.

Among the recommendations, EEA suggest staying safe from poor air quality. There is up-to-date information on ground level ozone concentrations across the pan-European region at the EEA’s Ozone Web. Children, the elderly, asthma sufferers and others with respiratory illnesses are most vulnerable. If ozone levels are very high, it is advisable for these groups to avoid spending a lot of time outdoors. Ozone levels are usually higher in the afternoon, so vulnerable people may avoid the higher levels of pollution by working or exercising outdoors in the mornings or evenings.

Ground-level ozone is not directly emitted into the atmosphere but is formed from chemical reactions following the release of various ‘precursor pollutants’ from a wide variety of sources: for example, fossil fuel combustion, road transport, refineries, solvents, vegetation, landfills, wastewater, livestock, and forest fires. The reactions that create ozone are catalysed by heat and sunlight – so it is a particular problem in the summer months, and southern Europe typically has much higher levels of ozone than the north.