Evaluating the Impacts of Ground-Level O3 on Crops in China

China is facing increasing ground-level ozone (O3) along with the reduction of particulate matter since the implementation of the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan (APPCAP) in 2013. High-level O3 poses adverse effects to ecosystems by inhibiting the growth of crops and other plants in addition to human health effects. The capture of atmospheric carbon dioxide by plants is also weakened due to O3 stress effect. In recent years, studies have been conducted to evaluate the potential risk of O3 in agricultural production in China with different methods and focuses and the results are not consistent for comparison and policy-making. In this paper, we first briefly reviewed the levels of O3 pollution in China in recent years, and the evaluation indicators for analyzing O3 impacts on crops as well as their applicability. Then, methods for determining O3 flux and the progress in dry deposition of O3 in farmlands were presented. We also introduced some recent advances in evaluating losses of crop yield caused by O3 exposure. Finally, in view of the shortcomings of current research, prospects for future research were suggested.