Troposphere ozone as a source of oxidative stress in cutaneos tissues.

This review presents troposphere ozone (O3) as a source of oxidative stress in cutaneous tissues. O3 may cause a disturbance of the barrier function, increase transepidermal water loss and provoke epidermal repair responses, as can be also seen after barrier perturbation. Depletion of O3 at stratospheric level leads to an increased exposure to UV radiation, well known source of skin cancer. Increased level of O3 at the ground level, together with increased UV exposure as a consequence of O3 depletion in stratosphere can have an additive effect on the development of skin pathologies.