The Depletion Of Ozone Layer
Ozone is a natural trace component of the atmosphere. It is created continuously through the action of sunlight and oxygen in the upper atmosphere. At the same time this destroyed by various reactions with other components in the air. The next result of these natural processes is the so-called ozone layer in the stratosphere at altitudes between 15 and 50 kilometers in which the concentration of the ozone is raised. Ozone is a colorless gas, a form of oxygen. However, an ordinary molecule of oxygen contains two atoms. Because of ozone’s composition, it is reactive. It readily combines with whatever materials it comes in contact with, including such biological substances as cells and ...
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radiation from the sun before it reaches ground level, where it can cause sun burn, skin cancer and cataracts. Research suggests that any additional UV-B (ultra-violet radiation) at ground level could depress our bodies’ immune systems, damage the natural food chain and reduce crop yields. Although ozone makes up less that 1ppm of all the gases in our planet’s atmosphere, but it is essential to life on earth. Scientists assume that in the early days of the earth’s evolution there was no atmosphere, but gases from planet surfaces and volcanoes slowly collected. At first, the gas was little protection from the sun’s UV radiation. But according to some evolutionary theories, life forms on earth may have been able to develop in water that filtered out most of the UV rays but allowed enough visible lights for chemical reactions to take place.
However, ozone concentration are not static, winds transport, ozone throughout the stratosphere. Although the photochemical process constantly ...
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through the troposphere into the stratosphere, altering the chemistry of the protective ozone layer. That proposal sounded an alarm. Atmospheric scientist in many nations followed up with studies that confirmed the finding of Rowland and Molina. At the same time, the possible threat to the ozone layer caught the attention of the general public.
Since CFCs were used in aerosol sprays for hundreds of different kinds of consumer products, worried consumers, environmentalists, and other group called for bans on CFCs in aerosol sprays. In 1978, the U.S. Congress passed legislation that outlawed the manufacturer of CFC aerosols, Canadian, Swiss, and Scandinavian governments took similar ...
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The Depletion Of Ozone Layer. (2007, December 12). Retrieved December 23, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Depletion-Of-Ozone-Layer/75696
"The Depletion Of Ozone Layer." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 12 Dec. 2007. Web. 23 Dec. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Depletion-Of-Ozone-Layer/75696>
"The Depletion Of Ozone Layer." Essayworld.com. December 12, 2007. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Depletion-Of-Ozone-Layer/75696.
"The Depletion Of Ozone Layer." Essayworld.com. December 12, 2007. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Depletion-Of-Ozone-Layer/75696.
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