Skin damage by tropospheric ozone

Tropospheric (ground level) ozone (O-3) is asecondary pollutant, emerging from other pollutants in the sunshine. Exposure to O-3 correlates with higher pulmonary and cardiovascular mortality and affects reproductive health and the central nervous system acutely and chronically. Skin might be apotentially overlooked target organ of ambient O-3. The experimental evidence suggests apositive correlation of O-3 exposure with oxidative damage, impaired antioxidant defence and proinflammatory response in the skin. In time series studies it was observed that acute rises in O-3 levels correlated with seeking medical help for skin conditions; however, whether these findings are specific to O-3, is not yet clear. There is preliminary epidemiological evidence that long-term exposure to O-3 is associated with premature skin aging. This finding was independent of co-exposure to other environmental factors affecting skin (e.g. ultraviolet radiation and air pollution). As concentrations of O-3 are rising in many regions of the world, adverse cutaneous effects of O-3 present arelevant public health concern.