Ozone’s Dual Role in Global Warming

Created By RISC | 5 months ago

Last modified date : 5 months ago

Global warming has long been recognized as a significant worldwide issue with serious consequences for the environment and human society. An increase in greenhouse gas in the atmosphere is causing the global average temperature to keep rising, bringing natural disasters and harming our ecosystems and lives.​

​Ozone is the most significant greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide.​ ​Ozone (O₃) is generated by the combination of oxygen (O₂), which is common in the air, and free oxygen atoms (O₂₋), which are broken down by ultraviolet light (UV) from oxygen molecules.

When ozone absorbs energy from the sun's ultraviolet radiation, however, it undergoes the same breakdown, resulting in free oxygen atoms and oxygen gas molecules.​

Ozone plays conflicting roles to global warming and climate change.​ In the stratosphere, the middle layer of the atmosphere, ozone protects against damaging radiation from the sun and reduces heat absorption from the earth's surface. In the lower atmosphere, in the troposphere, ozone contributes to the greenhouse effect.​

Let's see how…​

Ground level ozone is from 0 to 2 kilometers in the troposphere. Most of this ozone now comes from chemical reactions caused by human activities. Automobile and industrial exhaust contain nitrogen oxide (NOₓ) as the main component. Photochemical reactions and ultraviolet radiation from volatile organic compounds (VOC), house paint, cigarette smoke, bleach, or insecticides boost ozone levels. Ground-level ozone harms our health and also traps heat radiation from the earth's surface, causing global temperatures to rise. It is 3 times more efficient at absorbing heat than carbon dioxide.​

New inventions and advances can reduce dangerous pollutants that cause ozone production in the troposphere. Small aerosol particle capture systems such as nitrogen oxide gas removal systems can minimize ozone emissions from industrial plants, as well as emissions from internal combustion engines in electric and hybrid automobiles. These developments and technologies are regarded as one of the most essential strategies to mitigate the consequences of global warming, together with reducing other greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide and methane to maintain ecological balance and a hospitable environment.​

​Story by Chanin Kulsurakit, Sustainable Designer, WELL AP, DGNB International, TREES-A specialist, and DGNB Consultant at RISC​