Essay about Ozone Layer Depletion

People may believe that the most important environmental issues threatening our world would be human overpopulation, ocean acidification, and pollution. However we are forgetting how important every environmental issue is to our planet and the humans that populate it. Ozone depletion affects both the planet and the people. It is a very serious environmental issue that if not solved can cost us some serious loss. The depletion of our ozone layers and the creation of the ozone hole has occurred since the 1980’s, and it 's only getting worst. The ozone layer is a form of oxygen in the molecular form of O3. It is an unstable gas with a pungent odour, it is bluish and it is located in two parts of the atmosphere: the stratosphere and the

What are some of the chemicals that caused the ozone hole to form over the stratosphere in Antarctica?

The ozone layer is in the Earth’s stratosphere and the necessity of this layer is to protect the Earth from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation rays. “Since the late 1970s, an ozone hole has formed over Antarctica each austral spring (September / October), in which up to 66 percent of the total ozone is depleted” (Ozone Layer Protection). What directly causes holes in ozone are Chloroflourocarbons (CFCs), which rapidly damage the ozone layer. However, with the rising global warming temperature the CFCs’ process is catalysed, further damaging the ozone layer. “According to the estimates made by Dasgupta and Bhaumik (1995), it is likely that 10% decrease in ozone will lead to 20% increase in UV irradiance” (Gangul and Iyer 2006). Once an uncontrolled amount of UV radiation is exposed to lifeforms, especially to humans, “According to the estimates made by Vander Leun and De Gruijl (1993), 1% decrease in total stratospheric columnar ozone (SCO) will lead to 2.3% increase in non-melanoma skin cancer, 2% increase in cutaneous melanoma and 0.5% increase in the incidence of cataracts” (Gangul and Iyer 2006). More devastating effects from the depleting ozone layer are more destruction to agricultural fields, warming of oceans and increased acidity which is diminishing the amounts of phytoplankton, which can immensely affect the stability of the food chain. Therefore, the depletion of

NASA states that, “In its Fourth Assessment Report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a group of 1,300 independent scientific experts from countries all over the world under the auspices of the United Nations, concluded there 's a more than 90 percent probability that human activities over the past 250 years have warmed our planet”. The ozone layer and a stable climate temperature are the only thing protecting life on earth from the deadly UV rays and harmful global temperature rise. All around the world today the ozone layer is constantly depleting and the overall global temperature is constantly heating up whether anyone is acknowledging it or not, but there is a cause. Ozone layer depletion and global climate change are naturally occurring events that have been extremely and negatively heightened by human life.

In 1988, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration had conclusive proof products adding to the output of carbon dioxide and methane gases in the atmosphere were causing the earth to warm; and, if not stopped will make it inhabitable for human life. In the 1970’s the United States had conclusive proof that products releasing Chlorofluorocarbons into the atmosphere were causing the ozone layer to deplete; and, that if continued would be dangerous for human life. The United States took international global action, by joining the Montreal Protocol, to phase out the products producing chlorofluorocarbon and the ozone layer has been successfully replenished .

Ozone also known as O3, is a colorless toxic gas formed by three oxygen atoms. The ozone occurs in the Earth’s upper atmosphere, the stratosphere and in the lower atmosphere, the troposphere. The ozone can affect life in a good or bad way. Good ozone is in the upper atmosphere and occurs naturally, it has a protective layer that helps block harmful ultraviolet rays (EPA.Gov). Stratospheric ozone is formed naturally and it is about 6 through 30 miles above the Earth’s surface and it also reduces the amount of harmful UV rays. Bad ozone is created by chemical reactions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (EPA.Gov). Tropospheric or ground-level ozone is what we breathe and are formed by chemical reactions of NOx and VOCs, these reactions have been viewed by the presence of heat and sunlight, resulting in higher ozone levels in the summer. The purpose of this paper is to identify the difference ozone levels in San

Below are four photos of the ozone layer at different times. The purple parts of the pictures represent the thinnest parts of the ozone layer. The blue parts are the next thinnest part of the ozone layer. The green parts of the pictures represent the normal thickness of the ozone layer. The red and yellow parts represent a buildup of ozone. The reason for the dramatic decrease in the ozone between September 17, 1979 and October 7, 1989 (top left and top right photos) is because of the introduction of CFCs or chlorofluorocarbons (Alford).

Chlorofluorocarbons, CFCs: These substances are also of concern in connection with the destruction of stratospheric ozone (Chapter 2). Like N2O, they have no tropospheric sinks, but are infrared absorbers. Up to 1984, the tropospheric concentrations of three of the major commercial CFCs...

Even though it has been scientifically proven that the halide acid (HCI) from the volcanic eruptions is mostly confined in the troposphere found just below the stratosphere and hence not effective in destroying the ozone as it is washed out by rain, the volcanic eruptions still play a significant part in reducing the ozone levels in an indirect manner. The particles emitted during an eruption interact with bromine and chlorine containing compounds from the human made CFCs hence the chemical reaction leads to the erosion of the ozone (Rangarajan S., 2013). This continued stagnation of the volcanic particles is made worse if the wind fails to blow to clear away the particles as well as failure of rain for a long time.

As most people know there is this layer in the sky called the ozone layer. Its job is to protect us from foreign objects and keep oxygen in. We, humans, have created chemicals that can potentially destroy it forever. Chlorine and bromine atoms both destroy the ozone. One chlorine atom when comes in contact with the ozone can destroy 100,000 ozone

The hole in the ozone layer is one of the most pressing issues of global warming, and this issue can be directly attributed to us. Globally, the issue of the disappearing ozone layer is mainly focused on Antarctica, but “evidence of the ozone layer thinning over other parts of the Earth has also begun to appear.” (Newton 2) This sudden trend is caused by the creation of chlorofluorocarbons, hydrochlorofluorocarbons, and halons—all human manufactured substances—entering our atmosphere in overwhelming quantities—1.1 million tons annually in the 1980s (Vermishev and Danilov-Danilyan 361). As a result of this trend, the issue of the ozone layer’s depletion truly began surfacing in the 1980s, and now “A continuous natural process of the formation and depletion of ozone occurs in the stratosphere.” (Vermishev and Danilov-Danilyan

This layer is vital to all living organisms (humans, animals, plants) by keeps them safe from genetic damage due UV radiation. Ozone absorbs 90% of UVB radiation which is show to have harmful effects on humans and an important role in skin cancer.

There are four major gases that cause the greenhouse effect.  These chemicals are Chloroflourocarbons (CFC’s), Nitrous Oxide (N2O), Carbon Dioxide (CO2), and Methane (CH4).  “CFC’s destroy ozone molecules by the thousands, causing a smaller amount of ozone in the ozone layer.  This allows more UV rays hit the Earth’s surface, causing a slight increase of the Earth’s temperature.  The more ozone molecules destroyed, the more UV rays enter the Earth’s atmosphere, making the temperature even higher”(What Is The Greenhouse Effect).

Why is the ozone layer of much concern to scientists and environmentalists? The ozone layer is quite beneficial to human life and existence. The destruction of this layer has been linked to the now common health conditions such as cancers, skin conditions and cataracts among others. It is apparent that, without the ozone layer, all humanity would be lost to disease.

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s): CFC’s are lowering the average concentration of ozone in the stratosphere. “Since 1978 the use of CFC’s in aerosol cans has been banned in the United States, Canada and most Scandinavian countries. Aerosols are still used around the world and accounts for 25% of global CFC’s use”. (Miller 448). Spray cans discarded or leaking refrigerator and air conditioning equipment and the burning plastic foam products release the CFC’s into the atmosphere. Depending on the type, CFC’s stay in the atmosphere from 22 to 111 years.” Chlorofluorocarbons move up to the stratosphere gradually over several decades. Under high energy ultra violet (UV) radiation break them down and release chlorine atoms, which speed up the breakdown of ozone (O3) into oxygen (O2). Chlorofluorocarbons, also known as Freons, are green house gas that contributes to global warming. Photochemical air pollution is commonly referred to as “smog”. Smog is the contraction of the words smoke and fog, smog has been caused by water condensing on smoke particles, usually from burning coal. With the introduction of petroleum to replace coal economies in countries, photochemical smog has become predominant in many cities, which are located in sunny warm and dry climates with many motor vehicles. The worst episodes of