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[ad_1] Much of the United States has experienced horrible air quality this year due to the Canadian wildfires. It's not only particles from smoke creating pollution, but new research shows there's also an invisible pollution problem causing health concerns: Ozone.   When ozone is up in the atmosphere, it filters out the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays. When it reaches the ground, it's not healthy for humans.   According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ground-level ozone can cause coughing and a sore throat, make it more difficult to breathe deeply, and make the lungs more susceptible to infection.   "It's the things that affect your bronchial lungs and asthma attacks is a key one, particularly in young children." said Dan Jaffe, an environmental chemistry professor at the University of Washington.  Jaffe has been studying ozone pollution for 30 years. He said most of the time it comes from a chemical ...

[ad_1] Millions of Americans woke up the morning after Independence Day to air quality advisories across the U.S. Amid ongoing concern about smoke from  wildfires burning in Canada , many were left wondering: How do fireworks affect air quality? The number of Independence Day pyrotechnic displays in a typical year increase concentrations of fine particulate matter up to 42%,  according to a 2015 analysis  of air quality data from 1999-2013.   Hourly concentrations during the evening of July 4 and morning of July 5 in the study were higher than two days before and two days after, researchers noted. But 2023 is anything but typical, according to Rick Knabb , The Weather Channel's hurricane expert.  "The usual increase in airborne particulates ... is combining this year with the higher baseline of poor air quality from the wildfire smoke," he said, making for "even worse air quality."  Residents in Seattle woke up t...