What is the effect of the interaction between UV-B radiation, climate change, and human activity on air pollution?
Pollutants emitted by human activities can reduce UV-B radiation near the surface, while particles may lead to enhancement by scattering. These processes decrease some exposures to UV while enhancing others. Interactions between UV radiation and pollutants resulting from changes in climate and burning of fossil and plant fuels will worsen the effects of ozone on humans and plants in the lower atmosphere.
While most of the atmospheric ozone is formed in the stratosphere, ozone is also produced in the lower atmosphere (troposphere) by the chemical reactions between pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons and UV radiation. This ground-level ozone is a significant component of photochemical smog found in many polluted areas and has important adverse effects on human health and the environment.
Some estimates indicate that increases of this type of air pollution will result in more human deaths than other effects of climate change, such as increased intensity of storms and flooding.
Climate change will likely increase circulation of gases in the atmosphere but cause only small increases in ozone in the lower atmosphere in areas where there is little pollution. These increases will be less significant for the health of humans than those caused by tropospheric ozone in polluted areas.
Pollutants emitted by human activities can reduce UV-B radiation near the surface, while particles may lead to enhancement by scattering. These processes decrease some exposures to UV while enhancing others. Interactions between UV radiation and pollutants resulting from changes in climate and burning of fossil and plant fuels will worsen the effects of ozone on humans and plants in the lower atmosphere.
While most of the atmospheric ozone is formed in the stratosphere, ozone is also produced in the lower atmosphere (troposphere) by the chemical reactions between pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons and UV radiation. This ground-level ozone is a significant component of photochemical smog found in many polluted areas and has important adverse effects on human health and the environment.
Some estimates indicate that increases of this type of air pollution will result in more human deaths than other effects of climate change, such as increased intensity of storms and flooding.
Climate change will likely increase circulation of gases in the atmosphere but cause only small increases in ozone in the lower atmosphere in areas where there is little pollution. These increases will be less significant for the health of humans than those caused by tropospheric ozone in polluted areas.
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