The National Research Council is warning people who live in areas where ozone is at certain levels that inhaling even small amounts of it could cause them to die prematurely. A report released by the council yesterday examined the ground-level ozone found in smog and is now recommending the Environmental Protection Agency take the information into account when setting ozone standards and warning individuals to stay inside on days where heavy pollution is in the air. This type of ozone exposure is linked to health conditions such as respiratory issues and heart disease, with children and the elderly facing the greatest risk.

"What impressed me was the consistency of the findings that ozone clearly ... does have an effect," Dr. Evelyn Talbott of the University of Pittsburgh, who worked on the study, said in a telephone interview. "It's small, but when you talk about a small effect over 300 million people, it's a lot."

The EPA has already set stricter standards for the amount of ozone in the air, reducing the maximum 80 parts per billion to 75 parts per billion, despite a recommendation from their advisory board to drop the number to somewhere between 60 and 70 parts per billion.

» Reuters Environment