摘要：Ground level (tro pospheric) ozone, an air po llutant and key ingredient of urban smo g, has a negat ive impact o n human health worldwide. Many studies have reported increases in emergency-room visits, hosp ital ad missio ns, and mort ality for pat ients wit h t hese co nditions, associated with days o f increased ozone. Sho rt-term exposures t o ozone irritate t he respiratory system and may cause health problems by damaging lung tissue, reducing lung function, increased airway inflammatio n and making the lungs more sensitive to ot her irrit ants. It not only affects people wit h exist ing breathing problems, but also can affect healthy children and adu lts. Perso ns especially sensit ive to o zo ne exposure are the elderly, infants, children, persons with existing respirat ory issues such as diabetes mellitus, asthma o r allergies, asthmat ics, chro nic resp iratory patients, pregnant women, smokers, and persons wit h lung cancer, cardio vascular disease or immu ne system deficiency. Furthermore, recent research studies suggest that long-term exposure to o zone may be associated wit h lung cancer. This po ssibilit y is expect ed to be further explo red
关键词：ozone; resp iratory system; health ;effects of ozone; inflammation
