SHELBY COUNTY, Tennessee — The Shelby County Health Department has started monitoring for ground level ozone. The ozone layer protects the Earth from the Sun, but the health department is checking for ozone that develops near the surface because it can hurt our lungs, animals, and plants.
“Because it can be harmful at higher concentration levels, our job is to monitor that ozone and alert the public if the levels are getting too high,” said Shelby County Health Department Meteorologist Michael Goldstein.
Ozone is created from pollutants from transportation, industrial, and agricultural sources. Ozone increases during the summer months, so the health department keeps watch on it once the weather starts warming up.