Ozone pollution might increase by 70 percent in the United States by 2050, a new research shows.
The study noted that global warming, higher atmospheric methane levels and other climate-related changes might end up creating chemical reactions that will up the overall ozone risk.
It also found that without 'drastic' cut in the associated pollutants, most of the U.S. will experience at least a few days of unhealthy air in summer.
"It doesn't matter where you are in the United States - climate change has the potential to make your air worse," lead author Gabriele Pfister of the National Center for Atmospheric Research's Earth System Laboratory, said in a press release. "A warming planet doesn't just mean rising temperatures, it also means risking more summertime pollution and the health impacts that come with it."
The study results also found drastic reduction in the emissions of some types of pollutants that would lead to dramatically reduced ozone levels, despite temperatures growing warmer.
"Through a series of 'what if' simulations, atmospheric chemists, climate modelers, regional modelers and developers of emissions scenarios demonstrate that a balance of emission controls can counteract the increases in future temperatures, emissions and solar radiation that in turn lead to decreases in surface ozone," she added.
The study showed that 90 percent of the time ozone levels in 2050 would range from 30 ppb to 87 ppb, compared to estimated present-day levels of 31 ppm to 79 ppb.
"Unlike ozone in the stratosphere, which benefits life on Earth by blocking ultraviolet radiation from the Sun, ground-level ozone can trigger a number of health problems. These range from coughing and throat irritation to more serious problems, including aggravation of asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema," the NCAR stated. "Even short periods of unhealthy ozone levels can cause local death rates to rise. Ozone pollution also damages crops and other plants."
The new research will be appearing in the 'American Geophysical Union's Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres.'