Is your faucet leaking? Repair it immediately, either on your own or by hiring a plumbing...

It's that dirty brown haze that hangs over a city on a hot summer day, reminding us that we probably should get away for a bit and breathe some country air. The word originated from a contraction of smoke and fog, but the ugly stuff consists mostly of ground-level ozone, which is formed when oxides of nitrogen (NOx) mix with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the air. Heavy motor-vehicle traffic, industrial emissions, and the use of chemical solvents release the offending substances into the air; hot, sunny weather facilitates the chemical reaction that creates ozone. Smog can lead to lung irritation, asthma, emphysema, and other health problems. For more on smog, click here.

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