Ask a Teacher

Search



Why Ozone is good in Stratosphere while bad in Troposphere ?
Good question!

 Ozone is a naturally occurring gas found in the troposphere and other parts of the atmosphere.Tropospheric ozone is often called "bad" ozone because it can damage living tissue and break down certain materials. Concentrations of ozone are not uniform in the troposphere.Longer exposure to ozone will increase the negative effects.
    The amount of ozone present in the troposphere varies from day to day and from place to place.
Tropospheric ozone is formed by the interaction of sunlight, particularly ultraviolet light, with hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides, which are emitted by automobiles, gasoline vapors, fossil fuel power plants, refineries, and certain other industries.
While stratospheric ozone shields us from ultraviolet radiation, in the troposphere this irritating, reactive molecule damages forests and crops; destroys nylon, rubber, and other materials; and injures or destroys living tissue. It is a particular threat to people who exercise outdoors or who already have respiratory problems.

Ozone affects plants in several ways. High concentrations of ozone cause plants to close their stomata. These are the cells on the underside of the plant that allow carbon dioxide and water to diffuse into the plant tissue. This slows down photosynthesis and plant growth. Ozone may also enter the plants through the stomata and directly damage internal cells.



comments powered by Disqus