Large areas had excessive ozone levels in 2006 - Haaretz

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Last update - 01:55 17/09/2007

Large areas had excessive ozone levels in 2006

By Zafrir Rinat, Haaretz Correspondent

Large areas of Israel had excessive ozone levels in 2006, the Ministry for Environmental Protection said Sunday. Ozone, when found at ground level and not in the upper atmosphere, can damage the respiratory system and the heart.

The area most heavily affected was Gush Etzion in the West Bank, south of Jerusalem. The ministry found the bloc was contaminated with excessive ozone levels for 260 days in 2006. Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Be'er Sheva, Modi'in and Carmiel also showed excessive levels from 45 days to 140 days.

The World Health Organization states that people should not be exposed to more than 100 micrograms of ozone per cubic meter of air for more than eight hours. Higher concentrations were found in all the cities listed above.

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Low-level ozone (or tropospheric ozone) is not emitted directly by engines or factories. It is formed when sunlight causes hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides in the air to react, and then usually drifts with the wind.

In Israel, low-level ozone finds its way to the interior of the country. This is why areas like Beit Shemesh and Gush Etzion were found to have higher levels of ozone than more industrialized areas in the coastal plain.

Officials from the Ministry for Environmental Protection say the ministry is trying to cut emissions of materials that produce low-level ozone. These steps include limiting the gas fumes at service stations, and reducing pollutants in commercial cooking gas.

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