![]() Therefore, their ozone levels drop to lower levels than the rest of the globe, creating “holes” or thin spots. These clouds provide the ideal conditions for the chemical reactions that break down ozone molecules. The polar regions are more susceptible to ozone depletion because of the formation of “polar stratospheric clouds” caused by cold temps in these regions. CFCs break down in sunlight to release chlorine and bromine, which destroy ozone molecules. The main cause of the depletion was traced back to the rampant use of man-made substances containing CFCs that had been released into the atmosphere from aerosols and refrigerants. In 1985, the British Antarctic Survey thought their instrumentation was faulty because of how dramatically the ozone levels had dropped. In the 1970s, scientists discovered that the ozone layer had been depleted in concentration by about 4% per decade. What impact do refrigerants have on the ozone layer? Unfortunately, sulfur dioxide and methyl chloride were used for decades before we understood the drawbacks. Methyl chloride and sulfur dioxide are toxic and were replaced by chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in the 1920s. In the early days of air conditioning, your options for refrigerants included ammonia, methyl chloride and sulfur dioxide. These chemicals – found in early refrigerants – leave what some refer to as a “hole in the ozone layer.” The more accurate description is a thinning of the ozone layer, it doesn’t create actual holes. While ozone is created and destroyed naturally, man made chemicals in the air called CFCs inhibit ozone’s ability to form. ![]() While ozone may seem like an insignificant component, it serves a critical role in keeping the sun’s rays tolerable for all living things. ![]() Actual ozone only makes up a very small portion of the stratosphere: 3 molecules per 10 million air molecules or 0.00006%. The ozone layer is in earth’s stratosphere and occurs between six to thirty miles above the planet’s surface. Because of this beneficial reaction, ozone filters much of the sun’s harmful radiation out from hitting the earth’s surface. It forms when normal oxygen (O2) molecules absorb ultraviolet rays from the sun. Ozone (O3) is a naturally occurring gas that is colorless but has a pungent odor.
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