Associations between Surface Ozone and Nitrogen Oxides of Ambient Air in Tabriz

Nowadays, air pollution is one of the most concerning environmental problems in major cities all over the world. Surface ozone (O3) as one of the most important pollutants in troposphere is one of the major components of smog and is formed through a series of photochemical reactions in the presence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). High oxidizing potential of ozone can lead to respiratory problems. Breathing ground-level ozone can trigger variety of health problems such as chest pain, throat and eye irritation, asthma attacks, bronchitis, emphysema and headaches. Also, high ozone concentrations deeply affect plants and cells, and impact worldwide crop and forest. In the last decade, a number of studies have been done in the case of O3 concentration in urban areas. These studies indicate that O3 concentration has increasing trend in major cities (Mohammadi et al., 2016; USEPA, 2013; Im et al., 2013).