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The Implications of Ozone Depletion on Human Health Essay

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The Implications of Ozone Depletion on Human Health

Introduction Hairspray. Refrigerators. Air conditioners. These everyday luxuries, while making human life more comfortable, are taxing our health seriously. Clorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, are anthropogenic chemicals used in refrigerants and as propellants in aerosols. CFCs, also known as freons, are also the primary culprit behind the depletion of stratospheric ozone, which allows harmful ultraviolet rays to reach the Earth and its inhabitants.

When CFC molecules reach the stratosphere, the sun's radiation breaks it apart, freeing the chorine atom to destroy ozone molecules. The effect is a growing ozone hole which forms over Antarctica in October and usually lasts through mid …show more content…

a reddening, and sometimes blistering, of human skin. The sensitivity to radiation depends on each individual's pigmentation, with fairer skinned people being more susceptible to sunburn. As a result of frequent UV light exposure and sunburn, the skin experiences photoaging, which is characterized by wrinkles, altered pigmentation, and a loss of elasticity in the skin. This is simply an increase in the aging of skin cells brought on by UV exposure, and this photoaging of human skin will increase as ozone levels decrease.

SKIN CANCER
One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. For the year 1999, one million cases of skin cancer have been predicted. The two most common forms of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Carcinomas are cancers which originate in the cells that cover an organ. These cancers are also referred to as nonmelanoma cancers. Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer. It appears as small, fleshy bumps, eighty percent of which are found on the head and neck. Basal cell carcinoma rarely spreads, but if left untreated, can possibly penetrate to and damage the bone. Squamous cell carcinoma appears as red scaly patches or nodules. This form of nonmelanoma cancer, while less common, can metastasize, or spread to other organs. Both squamous and basal cell carcinoma are rarely found on dark-skinned people, and are very common among Caucasians,

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