BIKE: Ozone Action and our bike commuter lungs

[Mike Dahmus]

Seems unlikely that a mask would help with ozone - I could see it 
helping with particulates (which were quite high today too, by the way). 
Ozone is a molecule consisting of three atoms of oxygen - you're not 
going to stop that with any mask that would let through enough O2 for 
you to breathe!

I, personally, would rather our area be officially non-compliant with 
ozone (1ppb over the limit) rather than being 1ppb under the limit 
(which is where we effectively are now) - because being non-compliant 
means that TXDOT finally has some chains put on them to at least 
consider the air-quality impact of highway construction.

Lane S. Wimberley wrote:

>I don't have your answer, Elizabeth, but I'm glad you asked.  I hope
>someone can chime in with helpful info.  I've been wondering this
>myself lately, as the ozone action days pile up (although not as bad
>as previous years, it seems).  I ride every day, and maybe it's just
>my imagination, but it seems harder to breath on ozone action days.
>The air today certainly looked awfully nasty.  I've read before that
>excessive ozone exposure can cause some pretty bad things, including
>permanent lung damage.  
>
>Makes me mad as hell when, on these days, I see idiots blowing leaves
>and idling their cars to keep the air conditioner going.  Hey, I'm
>trying to BREATH over here!
>
>Sheesh.
>
>-Lane
>
>PS Where did you get the mask?  How much?
>
>elizabeth gray writes:
>  
>
>>How much damage do you figure we do to our own health by riding on Ozone 
>>days?  Has anyone used masks to filter the air?
>>
>>I tried the N95 mask (1870 NIOSH compliant) made by 3M�clamps around the 
>>nose and lower edge covers chin to create a minimum seal-- and I could 
>>breathe better than I thought�but of course it does require more effort to 
>>breathe than no mask.
>>
>>Any thoughts?
>>
>>Elizabeth
>>8 miles each way W Austin to 183/MLK
>>
>>
>>
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