Do the pollution related to ozone pose a real health threat to the population in Upper Silesia?

BACKGROUND: Air pollution is a leading environmental factor, that influences human health. Although Ozone plays crucial role in the screening Earth's surface and lower atmosphere layers from the ultraviolet radiation, the troposphere ozone is proved to have negative effect on human body. Long-term exposure to a higher ozone concentration is related to a decrease in life expectancy. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was the measurement-based assessment for determining whether the concentrations of ozone is within admissible limits or exceeded in Silesia province (5 million agglomeration) and therefore pose a threat to the local population together with the levels of PM2.5 and PM10 significantly exceeded at the same time. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The data provided by the Voivodship Inspectorate for Environmental Protection in Katowice for period 2015-2022 was used in the statistical analysis. The received data constitutes the result of 8-hour concentrations of ozone in selected air monitoring stations of Silesian province. The locations of 3 monitoring stations were found useful for the aim of this research; one site is situated in rural background area, another one is located in medium - sized city and the Katowice station is representative for urban background situation. RESULTS: The alarm level hasn't been exceeded in indicated measurements stations in Silesian Voivodship in period 2015-2022 (averaging time 1 hour: 240 µg/m(3) four 3 hours). The target level has been exceeded in 2015-2017, in all three measurements stations and in the following years in one station (in Zloty Potok - 2018 and in Katowice -2019). Each year the largest number of exceedances occurred in August. CONCLUSIONS: The results clearly indicate lack of hazards for general population health in terms of increased concentrations of ozone in the city centres and outside in Upper Silesia agglomeration and the situation even improved in last years. We identified the main sources of ozone. KEY MESSAGES: • The troposphere ozone is proved to have negative effect on human body, long-term exposure to a higher ozone concentration is related to a decrease in life expectancy. • The results clearly indicate lack of hazards for general population health in terms of increased concentrations of ozone in the city centres and outside in Upper Silesia agglomeration.