Photochemical smog appears to be initiated by nitrogen oxides that are emitted into the air as pollutants mainly from internal combustion engines. Absorbing the visible or ultraviolet energy of sunlight, it forms nitric oxide (NO) to free atoms of oxygen (O), which then combine with molecular oxygen (O2) to form ozone (O3). In the presence of hydrocarbons (other than methane), certain other organic compounds, and sunlight, various chemical reactions take place to form photochemical smog.
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