The Nevada Rural Ozone Initiative: A framework for developing an understanding of factors contributing to elevated ozone concentrations in rural and remote environments

摘要

Health impacts associated with air pollution are one of the most critical environmental issues we face today. The World Health Organization estimates that one in eight deaths worldwide in 2012 could be attributed to elevated levels of ambient and indoor pollutants (WHO, 2014). While much of this impact is due to particulate matter (PM), ozone also is a significant contributor to the negative consequence. Reducing ozone concentrations is a complex problem since it is a secondary pollutant that is not directly emitted from sources, but rather is formed by chemical reactions in the atmosphere. Hence, in order to improve air quality, there is a critical need to develop a better understanding of the factors leading to elevated concentrations of ozone in the atmosphere.