Smog is one of the major forms of air pollution. It makes being outside a health threat. Some of the major contributers to smog are automobiles, factories, and other things of this nature.
High temperatures stimulate the effects of smog, therefore, the highest levels of smog are on hot summer days. This means that most of the problems associated with smog occur in the summer months.
Health effects vary from person to person. There is evidence that suggests that it can cause some short-term breathing problems. This includes coughing, shortness of breath, and pain with deep breathing. Individuals with asthma are much more sensitive to smog.
There are a few factors that determine how unhealthy smog is to a person.
The first factor is the amount of ozone in the air. Since heat is usually associated with ozone, it will make the effects of smog greater.
The second is the length of the exposure. The longer a person is exposed to smog, the greater the symptoms are.
Finally, the third factor is how deeply a person is breathing when exposed to smog. The heavier an individual breathes, the bigger dose of smog is going into their lungs.
Scientific studies have suggested that the lungs adapt to smog and other air pollution after prolonged exposure. This defense mechanism disappears once a person is no longer exposed to pollutants.
Tests on rats, which were exposed to a polluted environment for a extended period of time, concluded that there was no sign of lung cancer.
The government has stepped in to combat air pollution in general. They passed the Clean Air Act in 1990. This act made provisions such as placing centralized emissions testing facilities in high risk areas. The problem with the provisions is that they cost a lot of money and the state governments do not want to pay the exorbitant price tags.
Locally, a law was recently passed which will all car owners to get an emissions test on their cars by May of the year 2001. If their automobile does not pass the test, they will have to get it fixed until it passes the emissions test. The price of the repair is not expensive but it is mandatory for the car to be able to drive on the road.