THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 21, 1995 TAG: 9507210007
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 31 lines
There have been several articles recently on air quality in Hampton Roads that contain the phrase ``ozone or smog,'' giving readers the erroneous impression that ozone is the same thing as smog.
Ozone, or trivalent oxygen, is not produced by motor vehicles, smokestacks, paints or fuel-burning plants. It is formed naturally by sunlight shining into polluting emissions and actually has the effect of breaking down the real pollutants like nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds.
Granted, this abnormally strong concentration of ozone in a polluted environment can be an irritant to humans. However, your readers should know that ozone in trace amounts is a natural component of clean, fresh, outside air and is important, even essential, in keeping air clean for humans to breathe. Many of our ``sick-building'' and ``sick-school'' problems stem from having a lack of the natural trace amounts of ozone indoors to break down pollutants from carpets, cleaning fluids and construction materials.
I hope future articles will set the record straight on ozone so that the important benefits of this substance can be known.
CHARLES DeFOORE
Virginia Beach, July 13, 1995 by CNB