Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

HTTPS

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

    • Environmental Topics
    • Air
    • Bed Bugs
    • Chemicals and Toxics
    • Climate Change
    • Emergency Response
    • Environmental Information by Location
    • Environmental Justice
    • Greener Living
    • Health
    • Land, Waste, and Cleanup
    • Lead
    • Mold
    • Pesticides
    • Radon
    • Science Topics
    • Water Topics
    • A-Z Topic Index
    • Laws & Regulations
    • By Business Sector
    • By Topic
    • Compliance
    • Enforcement
    • Guidance
    • Laws and Executive Orders
    • Regulations
    • Report a Violation
    • Environmental Violations
    • Fraud, Waste or Abuse
    • About EPA
    • Our Mission and What We Do
    • EPA Administrator
    • Headquarters Offices
    • Regional Offices
    • Labs and Research Centers
    • Planning, Budget, and Results
    • Organization Chart
    • EPA History
    • Staff Directory
Related Topics:
  • Integrated Science Assessments
Contact Us

Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) for Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants

On this page:

  • Pollutant Overview
  • History
  • Peer Reviewed Literature

The Issue

Ozone is a gas that occurs both in the Earth's upper atmosphere and at ground level where it is a key component of urban smog. Ground-level ozone causes a variety of effects on human health, vegetation, and ecosystems and it affects climate. Human exposure to ozone is associated with respiratory and cardiovascular effects. Ozone exposure causes visible foliar injury, decreases plant growth and affects ecosystem community composition.

Peak ozone levels typically occur during hot, dry, stagnant summertime conditions. Millions of Americans live in areas where ozone levels exceed EPA's health-based air quality standards, primarily in parts of the Northeast, the Lake Michigan area, parts of the Southeast, southeastern Texas, and parts of California.

EPA Action

EPA scientists are evaluating the latest scientific information to better understand the relationship between exposure to ozone and health and welfare effects, who may be at increased risk to these effects, how particles form in the atmosphere, and what the contributions are from various sources in different regions of the country.

The Clean Air Act requires EPA to periodically review the science for six major air pollutants, including ozone. EPA's Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment (formerly National Center for Environmental Assessment) develops Integrated Science Assessments (ISAs) that summarize the science related to the health and welfare effects of these pollutants. ISAs provide a comprehensive review of the policy-relevant scientific literature published since the last National Ambient Air Quality (NAAQS) review and in conjunction with other technical assessments, provide the policy-relevant scientific information necessary to conduct a review of the adequacy of the current NAAQS. This ISA represents EPA’s latest evaluation of the scientific literature on the potential health and welfare effects associated with ozone and updates the 2013 Integrated Science Assessment for Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants Final Report.

  • Learn about the Integrated Science Assessment for Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants (2020)
  • Learn about the Ozone Air Quality Standards

History of the Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants Assessments

Date Milestone
Apr 2020 EPA released the final report of the Integrated Science Assessment for Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants (EPA/600/R-20/012). [Federal Register Notice Apr 20, 2020] This is the most recent O3 ISA.
Feb 2013 EPA released the final report of the Integrated Science Assessment for Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants (EPA/600/R-10/076F).[Federal Register Feb 15, 2013]
Feb 2006 EPA released the final report of the Air Quality Criteria Document for Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants (EPA/600/R-05/004). [Federal Register Feb 28, 2006]
1996 EPA released the final report of the Air Quality Criteria for Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants (EPA/600/P-93/004).

Peer-Reviewed Literature

While working on the assessment of ozone, EPA used the Health and Environmental Research Online (HERO) database to augment the underlining literature that supported the final assessment.

See: ISA for Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants (2019 Final Project Page)

 
What is HERO?

HERO is a searchable database of more than 1.6 million scientific studies and other references used to develop EPA assessments aimed at understanding the health and environmental effects of pollutants and chemicals.

Get the Report

Cover of the final ISA for Ozone (2020).


Released April 2020

Related Links

  • Basic Information About Ozone
  • Clean Air Act
  • National Air Quality Standards for Ozone
  • Interactive Map of Air Quality
  • Ozone and Your Patients' Health Training for Health Care Providers

Upcoming Meetings

  • 9/12: EPA CASAC Meeting regarding the 2020 Ozone ISA. (FR Notice: 7/12/2022)
  • 9/14: EPA CASAC Meeting - 2020 Ozone ISA
  • 9/16: EPA CASAC Meeting - 2020 Ozone ISA
Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on May 15, 2023
United States Environmental Protection Agency

Discover.

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Budget & Performance
  • Contracting
  • EPA www Web Snapshot
  • Grants
  • No FEAR Act Data
  • Plain Writing
  • Privacy
  • Privacy and Security Notice

Connect.

  • Data.gov
  • Inspector General
  • Jobs
  • Newsroom
  • Open Government
  • Regulations.gov
  • Subscribe
  • USA.gov
  • White House

Ask.

  • Contact EPA
  • EPA Disclaimers
  • Hotlines
  • FOIA Requests
  • Frequent Questions

Follow.