Ozone (O3) is an allotrope of oxygen, the molecule consisting of three oxygen atoms instead of the more stable diatomic O2.

Ozone is a powerful oxidizing agent.

It is present in low concentrations throughout the Earth's atmosphere.

It has many industrial and consumer applications as well as being used in ozone therapy.

Ozone may be formed from O2 by electrical discharges and by action of high energy electromagnetic radiation.

Certain electrical equipment generate significant levels of ozone.

The highest levels of ozone in the atmosphere are in the stratosphere, in a region also known as the ozone layer between about 10 km and 50 km above the surface.

Here it filters out the shorter wavelengths (less than 320 nm) of ultraviolet light (270 to 400 nm) from the Sun that would be harmful to most forms of life in large doses..

For more information about the topic Ozone, read the full article at Wikipedia.org, or see the following related articles:

Sulfur dioxide — Sulfur dioxide (also sulphur dioxide, sulfurous anhydride or sulphurous anhydride) has the chemical formula SO2. The gas is irritating to the lungs ...  > read more

Chloroform — Chloroform, also known as trichloromethane and methyl trichloride, is a chemical compound with formula CHCl3. It does not support combustion in air, ...  > read more

Ethylene — Ethylene (or IUPAC name ethene) is the simplest alkene hydrocarbon, consisting of four hydrogen atoms and two carbon atoms connected by a double ...  > read more

Citric acid — Citric acid is a weak organic acid found in citrus fruits. It is a natural preservative and is also used to add an acidic (sour) taste to foods and ...  > read more

Related Stories

Antarctic Ozone Hole Shrinking Because Of Mild Weather, Not Recovery (October 22, 2007) — Although the ozone layer over the Antarctic this year is relatively small, this is due to mild temperatures in the region's stratosphere this winter and is not a sign of recovery, the United Nations ...  > read more

Scientists Find Antarctic Ozone Hole To Recover Later Than Expected (June 30, 2006) — Scientists from NASA and other agencies have concluded that the ozone hole over the Antarctic will recover around 2068, nearly 20 years later than previously ...  > read more

First Ozone And Nitrogen Dioxide Measurements From The Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (March 15, 2007) — The Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment-2 launched in October 2006 and currently undergoing commissioning has delivered the first geophysical products for monitoring the Earth's ozone layer, and ...  > read more

Annual Depletion Of Antarctic Ozone Results Are In: "Ozone Hole" Smaller Than Last Year (October 8, 1999) — A NASA satellite has shown that the area of ozone depletion over the Antarctic -- the well-known ozone "hole" -- is a bit less in 1999 than it was last ...  > read more

NASA's AURA Satellite Peers Into Earth's Ozone Hole (December 8, 2005) — NASA researchers, using data from the agency's AURA satellite, determined the seasonal ozone hole that developed over Antarctica this year is smaller than in previous ...  > read more

Search ScienceDaily

Overseas Pollution Hitting The U.S.