| |
 |
 |
|
|
Air quality |
|
|
|
Smog is produced when heat and sunlight react with gases and fine particles in the air. It is a mixture of pollutants in the air affecting our health throughout the year.
Find out more about what the City is doing to reduce smog.
What is smog?
Smog is a mixture of pollutants in the air and it can affect our health. Smog can occur any time of year, but it is most common in the summer. It sometimes appears as a brownish haze. Smog is made up of ground-level ozone, fine particles and other pollutants. Smog can affect outlying suburbs and rural areas as well as big cities.
Where does smog come from?
The air pollutants that make up smog mainly come from burning fossil fuels. Every day we burn gasoline, diesel fuel, natural gas and coal in our cars, trucks, home furnaces, industries and power plants, we are sending pollutants into the air. Ozone, the main ingredient in smog, is formed when two pollutants (nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds) combine in the presence of sun light. Toronto's smog comes from sources in Toronto and beyond.
How does smog harm our health?
Smog can worsen heart problems, asthma, bronchitis and other lung problems. Smog reduces lung function in healthy people. It also irritates eyes, nose and throat.
Who are most affected by smog?
Smog affects everyone, especially children. Other groups including people with lung diseases and heart conditions, people who work, play sports or exercise outdoors, pregnant women, people with asthma, seniors and smokers may also experience harmful health effects at lower levels of air pollution.
|
|
|
