Ozone (O3), or trioxygen, is a triatomic molecule, consisting of three oxygen atoms.

It is an allotrope of oxygen that is much less stable than the diatomic allotrope (O2).

ozone is a bent molecule, with C2v symmetry .The O O distances are 127.2 pm. The O O O angle is 116.78.The central atom is sp hybridized with one lone pair. Ozone is a polar molecule with a dipole moment of 0.53 D .The bonding can be expressed as a resonance hybrid with a single bond on one side and double bond on the other producing an overall bond order of 1.5 for each side.

Ozone is a pale blue gas, slightly soluble in water and much more soluble in inert non-polar solvents such as carbon tetrachloride or fluorocarbons, where it forms a blue solution. At 161 K (112 C), it condenses to form a dark blue liquid. It is dangerous to allow this liquid to warm to its boiling point, because both concentrated gaseous ozone and liquid ozone can detonate. At temperatures below 80 K (193 C), it forms a violet-black solid. Most people can detect about 0.01 mol/mol of ozone in air where it has a very specific sharp odor somewhat resembling chlorine bleach. Ozone is diamagnetic, which means that its electrons are all paired. In contrast, O2 is paramagnetic, containing two unpaired electrons

Ozone is formed in the stratosphere when oxygen molecules Photo dissociate after absorbing an UV Photon of shorter wavelength(less than 240 nm) to produce two oxygen atoms. Ozone is mainly produced from oxygen containing molecules such as Sulphur dioxide, Nitrogen Oxides, etc. also when these molecules are exposed to ultraviolet radiations.

On an average ozone layer, is about 230 Dobson units (DU) in thickness. DU is the unit which measures thickness of the ozone layer. It equals to 0.01 mm.

NO2 + sunlight ---> NO + O O + O2 ---> O3

Ozone can be used to remove manganese from water ,forming precipitate which can be filtered
2 Mn2+ + 2 O3 + 4 H2O 2 MnO(OH)2 (s) + 2 O2 + 4 H+

Ozone will also detoxify cyanides by converting them to cyanates, which are a thousand times less toxic CN- + O3 CNO + O2 Ozone will also completely decompose urea: (NH2)2CO + O3 N2 + CO2 + 2 H2O Ozone will cleave alkenes to form carbonyl compounds in the ozonolysis process.

If found in the troposphere; ozone acts as a powerful pollutant. But, when found in the stratosphere, it acts like a friend of the earth because it shields most of the ultra violet radiations and does not allow them to pass on towards the same. In stratosphere, it is found in the form of a dense layer called as the Ozone Layer or the Ozone Belt. Thus, the Ozone Belt in the stratosphere acts like a Protective Umbrella of the earth.

Ozone depleting substances :

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs or Freons), Methane, Nitrous Oxides (N2O), Carbon Tetrachloride (CCl4), Methyl Bromide (a soil fumigant and insecticide), aircraft emissions, n- propyl bromide and Halon- 1202 are major agents that cause depletion of ozone layer. Hence, these are called as Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS).

Chlorofluorocarbons get accumulated in greater amounts at high altitudes and gradually reach to the stratosphere. Under the influence of intense short wave ultraviolet radiations they release chlorine atoms. A single chlorine atom can react with more than, 100,000 molecules of ozone and can convert them into oxygen. Other ozone depleting substances like methane, nitrous oxide, methyl bromide etc. too, pass through a series of reactions under the influence of UV-radiations of sunlight and catalysts found in the air and help in the depletion of ozone layer. Ozone is destroyed by a number of free radicals catalysts like Hydroxyl radical, Nitric oxide radical, and Bromine through natural and anthropogenic sources.

NO + O3

NO2 + O2

PbS + 4 O3 PbSO4 + 4 O2 H2S + O3 SO2 + H2O

Ozone absorbs ultraviolet radiations so that much of it is never allowed to reach to the earth surface. The protective umbrella of ozone layer in the stratosphere protects the earth from harmful ultraviolet radiations. Ozone plays an important role in the biology and climatology on the earths environment. It filters out all the radiations that remain below 3000. Radiations below this wavelength are biologically harmful. Hence any depletion of ozone layer is sure to exert catastrophic impacts on life in the biosphere. The Ultraviolet radiation is one of the most harmful radiations contained in the sunlight. Ozone layer in the stratosphere absorbs these radiations and does not allow it to reach to the earth.

The depletion of Ozone layer may lead to UV exposures that may cause a number of biological consequences like Skin Cancer, damages to vegetation, and even the reduction of the population of planktons (1) UV radiation causes sun- eye- diseases (cataract), skin diseases, skin cancer and damage to immune system in our body. (2) It damages plants and causes reduction in crop productivity. (3) It damages embryos of fish, shrimps, crabs and amphibians. The population of salamanders is reducing due to UV-radiations reaching to the earth. (4) UV- radiations damage fabrics, pipes, paints, and other nonliving materials on this earth. (5) It contributes in the Global Warming. If the ozone depletion continues, the temperature around the world may rise even up to 5.5 Celsius degrees.

Banning the production and use of ozone depleting substances is one important way of preventing further depletion of the ozone layer in the stratosphere. On the other hand, alternatives to these chemical compounds should also be searched out so as to replace these chemicals. The alkanes have the affinity of reacting with ozone destroying chlorine atoms. According to the scientists, about 50,000 tones of alkane or propane would have to be blown to check the ozone loss. These chemicals could be released from an altitude of about 15 km by a group of hundreds of large aircrafts.

Industrially, ozone is used to: Disinfect laundry in hospitals, food factories, care homes etc. Disinfect water in place of chlorine Deodorize air and objects, such as after a fire. This process is extensively used in fabric restoration Kill bacteria on food or on contact surfaces Sanitize swimming pools and spas Kill insects in stored grain Scrub yeast and mold spores from the air in food processing plants; Wash fresh fruits and vegetables to kill yeast, mold and bacteria and many more

^ Ozone - Good Up High Bad Nearby http://www.epa.gov/air/oaqps/gooduphigh/ ^ Ground-level Ozone http://www.epa.gov/air/ozonepollution ^ a b Rubin, Mordecai B. (2001). "The History of Ozone. The Schnbein Period, 18391868" (PDF). Bull. Hist. Chem. 26 (1). Retrieved 2008-02-28. www.google.com www.wikipedia.com

Works Cited
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