The term "smog" was first used in the early 1900s to describe a mix of smoke and fog.
The smoke usually came from burning coal.
Smog was common in industrial areas, and remains a familiar sight in cities today.
Today, most of the smog we see is photochemical smog.
Photochemical smog is produced when sunlight reacts with nitrogen oxides and at least one volatile organic compound (VOC) in the atmosphere.
Nitrogen oxides come from car exhaust, coal power plants, and factory emissions.
VOCs are released from gasoline, paints, and many cleaning solvents.
When sunlight hits these chemicals, they form airborne particles and ground-level ozone—or smog. Ozone can be helpful or harmful.
The ozone layer high up in the atmosphere protects us from the sun’s dangerous ultraviolet radiation.
But when ozone is close to the ground, it is bad for human health. Ozone can damage lung tissue, and it is especially dangerous to people with respiratory illnesses like asthma.
