Exogenous application of chemicals for protecting plants against ambient ozone pollution: What should come next?

Elevated ground-level ozone (O(3)) pollution can adversely affect plants and inhibit plant growth and productivity, threatening food security and ecological health. It is therefore essential to develop measures to protect plants against O(3)-induced adverse effects. Here we summarize the current status of phytoprotection against O(3)-induced adverse effects and consider recent scientific and engineering advances, to provide a novel perspective for maximizing plant health while reducing environmental/ecological risks in an O(3)-polluted world. We suggest that nanoscience and nanotechnology can provide a new dimension in the protection of plants against O(3)-induced adverse effects, and recommend that new studies are based upon a green chemistry perspective.