The Study of Ozone Climatology and Pollution in the Northeastern and Southern United States Using Regional Air Quality Models

Abstract

Photochemical smog and its attendant high concentrations of ozone pollution were first identified as an environmental problem in Los Angeles in the 1950s (Haagen-Smith, 1952). (Ironically, while ozone in the stratosphere is believed to protect living organisms from harmful ultraviolet radiation, ozone at the earth’s surface is generally thought of as a pollutant because this strongly oxidizing gas can damage living tissue by direct contact.) Today, in spite of extensive research and, in some cases, large expenditures of funds for pollution abatement, photochemical smog is not only a serious problem in Los Angeles, but in virtually every major urban center in the world. In addition to being an urban problem, there is growing evidence that photochemical smog poses a threat to ecosystems in many rural areas. This threat appears to be especially chronic in the northeastern and southern United States, where a warm, stagnant summertime climatology combines with ample emissions of natural hydrocarbons and anthropogenic nitrogen oxides to produce high concentrations of ozone throughout the region during the summer months. In this chapter, a review is presented of the ozone pollution problem in the northeastern and southern United States and the use of regional air quality models to simulate the development of this pollution and ultimately develop control strategies for its abatement.