Besides decorating the night skies this Fourth of July, fireworks across the United States will pollute them with ozone, according to a new study.
Ozone, or O3, plays a protective role in the upper atmosphere, where it’s produced naturally by ultraviolet (UV) radiation striking other oxygen molecules (O2 ). Near the ground, ozone is a pollutant that irritates eyes and makes breathing difficult. Its formation there generally requires sunlight and nitrogen oxides.