Report confirms ozone pollution can kill

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Even breathing in a little ozone at levels found in many areas is likely to kill some people prematurely, the National Research Council reported on Tuesday.

The report recommends that the Environmental Protection Agency consider ozone-related mortality in any future ozone standards, and said local health authorities should keep this in mind when advising people to stay indoors on polluted days.

"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 report looks at ground-level ozone, a component of smog, as opposed to the ozone found in the high atmosphere, which protects the Earth from ultraviolet rays.

Ozone is a form of oxygen formed by the reaction of sunlight on air containing other pollutants such as hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxide. It is a powerful oxidizer, meaning it can damage cells in a process akin to rusting.

It is known to cause respiratory problems and worsen heart disease. Children and the elderly are at special risk.

The EPA asked the National Research Council, part of the advisory National Academies of Science, to analyze the link between ozone and early death.