Ground-level ozone can affect some crops because it attacks plants by reacting with the ethene gas emitted by the plants. That reaction generates substances that can then damage plant tissues. These damaging substances slow the rate of photosynthesis which lowers the total number of plants grown. $3 Billion is lost on the ozone killing alfalfa in the U.S. and white beans in Canada annually. Elevated levels of ozone can also harden rubber, bleach colors, and have negative effects on human health.
Terms: photochemical smog
Baird, C. Chemistry In Your Life: Second Edition. "Ozone affects crops." W. H. Freeman and Co. New York. 2006. (522-523).
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