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Smog Effects

Smog, a hybrid of the words "smoke" and "fog," is a term for air pollution. It creates a hazy, fog-like atmosphere, typically around a major urban area that has many pollutants present. Some effects of smog are fairly immediate, and over time it can produce some nasty results.

  1. Bad Ozone

    • One component of smog is ozone, a gas that occurs naturally in upper elevations but which, in lower elevations, often has harmful effects. A number of polluters such as cars, power and chemical plants and petroleum refineries all contribute to form the ozone in smog when their pollutants react to sunlight.

    Minor Health Impact

    • Everyone has a different level of susceptibility to the negative effects of smog, but many people begin to feel effects immediately after being outside in a smoggy area. The first health effects you may experience are throat irritation, coughing and possibly even chest pain, depending on your personal tolerance. These low-grade symptoms may disappear when you leave a smoggy area, but frequent exposure to smog can lead to long-term health problems.

    Major Health Impact

    • First, smog can have devastating effects for people with existing health problems. If you have a respiratory illness, such as asthma or emphysema, you put yourself at greater risk of attacks every time you are exposed to smog. The ozone in smog does damage to the lining of the lungs, a superficial problem if exposure is limited to a few days. However, if exposure constinues over a prolonged time, your lungs might be unable to keep recovering in the same, normal way. Smog can cause onsets of colds or even pneumonia, and, in cases of extremely regular exposure, it has even been known to lead to cancer.

    Environmental Impact

    • Smog is not only dangerous to the health of humans but also to the general well-being of entire ecosystems. In addition to its harmful effects on humans, smog has far-reaching effects at the bottom of the food chain. The ozone that smog contains often prevents plants from growing to their potential, causing damage to crops. Some crops with a strong penchant for smog-induced infection include lettuce, tomatoes, soybeans and peanuts.

    Smoggy U.S. Cities

    • A 2009 study placed Pittsburgh, PA, Bakersfield, CA, and Los Angeles, CA, at the tops of three different categories--ozone, short-term particle and long-term particle--for the nation's worst air pollution. Honorable mentions included Birmingham, AL, Detroit, MI, and Fresno, CA, all three of which appeared in the top 10 of two of the three categories. If you live in or plan to visit any of these cities, take particular caution when spending significant time or doing rigorous exercise outdoors.

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