OZONE LAYER DEPLETION

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Why the hole in the atmospheric ozone layer above us? What has been done about this? Why should I worry ourselves about the Ozone Layer Depletion?

What is Ozone? Ozone Layer?

Ozone (O3) is a highly-reactive from of oxygen.

Unlike oxygen (O2), ozone has a strong scent and is blue in color.
Ozone exists within both the tropospheric and stratospheric zones of the Earths atmosphere In the troposphere, ground level ozone is a major air pollutant and primary constituent of photochemical smog

In the stratosphere, the ozone layer is an essential protector of life on earth as it absorbs harmful UV radiation before it reaches the earth.

What is CFC ?

Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) is an organic compound that contains carbon, chlorine, and fluorine, produced as a volatile derivative of methane and ethane.

CFC History

Refrigerators from the late 1800s until 1929 used the toxic gases, ammonia (NH3), methyl chloride (CH3Cl), and sulfur dioxide (SO2), as refrigerants. Several fatal accidents occurred in the 1920s because of methyl chloride leakage from refrigerators. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are a family of chemical compounds developed back in the 1930's as safe, non-toxic, nonflammable alternative to dangerous substances like ammonia for purposes of refrigeration and spray can propellants. Their usage grew enormously over the years

CFCs and ozone depletion

Chlorofluorocarbons are created and used in refrigerators and air conditioners. These chlorofluorocarbons are not harmful to humans and have been a benefit to us. Once released into the atmosphere, chlorofluorocarbons are bombarded and destroyed by ultraviolet rays. In the process chlorine is released to destroy the ozone molecules

Destruction of ozone by chlorine

Molecular oxygen is broken down in the stratosphere by solar radiation to yield atomic oxygen, which then combines with molecular oxygen to produce ozone. The ozone is then destroyed by chlorine atoms.

Ozone destruction by UV rays

UV radiation from the sun releases the radicals Cl and ClO. Ozone is a highly unstable molecule so it readily donates its extra oxygen molecule to free radical species such as hydrogen, bromine, and chlorine. These compound species act as catalysts in the breakdown of ozone molecules.

Responsibility for ozone damage each year

Solution

The discovery of the ozone depletion problem came as a great surprise. Now, action must be taken to ensure that the ozone layer is not destroyed.

Because CFCs are so widespread and used in such a great variety of products, limiting their use is hard. Also, since many products already contain components that use CFCs, it would be difficult if not impossible to eliminate those CFCs already in existence.

The CFC problem may be hard to solve because there are already great quantities of CFCs in the environment. CFCs would remain in the stratosphere for another 100 years even if none were ever produced again. Despite the difficulties, international action has been taken to limit CFCs. In the Montreal Protocol, 30 nations worldwide agreed to reduce usage of CFCs and encouraged other countries to do so as well.

Policy responses to Ozone depletion

Mario Molina and Sherwood Rowland showed in 1974 that CFC gases destroy ozone Coordinating committee on Ozone Layer (CCOL) established by UNEP in the 1970s Vienna Convention for the protection of the ozone layer held in 1985 Montreal Protocol to ban substances that deplete the ozone layer held in 1987 Amendments to the Montreal Protocol: London - 1990, Copenhagen - 1992 and Montreal - 1997.

Good life at the beach threatened?

Mr. OZONE: Will I be able to continue enjoying this life without problems?