What are chlorofluorocarbons?
Most of us don’t think about how are everyday activities might influence the global environment. An example is our used of Chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs. These compounds are useful as refrigerants, solvents and aerosol propellants. In the upper atmosphere there is a layer containing a small amount of ozone.
What is the ozone layer?
The ozone layer is important to living things because it blocks harmful ultraviolet rays from reaching the surface.
How CFCs affect the ozone layer?
Scientists discover that CFCs, even in very small amounts cause ozone to break down. When release into the air, these chemicals disperse throughout the atmosphere. When CFCs reach the upper atmosphere and are exposed to ultraviolet light they release a highly reactive chlorine gas.
Ultraviolet light releases chlorine and acts as a catalyst. The chlorine monoxide acts as a catalyst that it breaks down ozone molecules that it isn’t change itself. A single molecule of chlorine can destroy thousands of ozone molecules.
Ozone depletion harms life. A severe depletion of the ozone layer would result in an increase in cases of skin cancer, eye cataracts and suppression of the immune system in humans and other species. Food crops sensitive to ultraviolet rays could also be affected and could cause their death. In 1984, a hole on the ozone layer was discovered over Antarctica. More recently, a similar hole has been discovered in some part of North America and in Arctic were it extent. We can protect the ozone layer by being careful about what chemicals we release into the air.
