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Essay on depletion of ozone layer and its effect
Causes of ozone layer depletion
Causes of ozone layer depletion
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The ozone layer is a key component to all life on earth. The ozone layer is up in the stratosphere protecting us from the harmful UV rays emitted by the sun. Without the ozone layer, detrimental effects can range from premature aging in the skin to multiple types of skin cancer. In this project, I will be discussing ozone depletion. I will be talking about ozone depletion causes, changes, effects, and the future of ozone depletion.
Ozone depletion is a huge problem in the world. Though we have managed to somewhat control it over the years, it still poses a threat. Ozone depletion, like most pollution, is majority caused by humans. One of the main causes in ozone depletion is chlorofluorocarbons(CFCs). CFCs are chemicals
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The ozone absorbs solar UV radiation which makes the stratosphere hot. The ozone also absorbs infrared radiation that comes from the earth’s surface, trapping the heat in the troposphere. Ozone depletion has severe repercussions on humans, animals, and plants. As I stated earlier, exposure to UV rays can cause a number of problems to all life. One of the big ones is skin cancer. Not commonly expressed, but important nonetheless, UV rays also have a great effect on the marine ecosystem. It adversely affects plankton which has a very important role in the food chain and oceanic carbon cycle. The effects to the plankton will eventually effect the whole ocean ecosystem.
UV rays will also affect the plants. What it does is it changes the time period in some plant species. It can also directly affect the plant growth by changing the physiological and developmental processes of the plants. Ozone is necessary to block harmful ultraviolet radiation from touching the earth’s surface. That’s why it is very necessary to keep an eye on global ozone levels. Not just people would suffer, animals and plants would too. Water life would also suffer since UV rays can reach certain depths before
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It’s a lot of stores that sell natural products that you can use ad are a lot safer for the ozone layer. Pesticides are good for weeds but bad for the ozone. Try using natural methods or stop being lazy and mow your grass regularly to stop weed growth. That’s common sense. As scientific research is increasingly being conducted. Very movie like weapons are being created such as rocket launchers, without caring about the fact that it destroys the ozone layer. Although it’s not as harmful to the ozone as CFCs, it still causes damage. Overtime they will become a huge problem for the ozone. They banned CFCs but not nitrous oxide in the Montreal protocol. It is the most fatal chemical that is able to harm the ozone but is still used. Another way that you can prevent ozone depletion is to limit the private vehicle driving which basically means carpool. The more vehicles mean more smog which is yet another factor in the depletion of the ozone. Not only carpool but bike ride, walk, or electric
The ozone layer is the one that protects living things from the pure ultraviolet rays of the sun.
15.2) The accumulation of chlorofluorocarbons is responsible for depleting the atmospheric zone. The atmospheric zone has changed in concentration due to human activity. The CFCs release chlorine atoms which react with ozone reducing it to molecular O₂. Following chemical reactions release the chlorine which reacts with other ozone molecules in a catalytic chain reaction. The ozone layer is getting thinner and thinner as stable air at places such as Antarctica allows reaction to continue. The accumulation of CFCs has led to increased UV radiation in sunlight reaching the earth thereby decreasing ozone levels. The global temperature has increased.
The light released by the sun consists of three frequency bands of radiation: infrared, visible and ultraviolet. Out of the three frequency bands, the ultraviolet light is damaging to most humans. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation divided into three categories: UVA, UVB, and UVC. UVA radiation passes through the skin without burning the surface layers. These rays can penetrate to a depth of 0.04 inches and causes damage to cell membranes and the immune system. UVA radiation has been linked to skin cancer, early aging and wrinkling of the skin. UVB radiation is responsible for the painful red burn people get after a long period of exposure to the sun. UVB rays also cause skin cancer and damage to the cornea and lens of the eye. The third category, UVC radiation, is generally absorbed by the Earth’s atmosphere and is not considered harmful.
Ultraviolet-B (UVB) radiation is a type of ultraviolet (means ‘beyond violet’) radiation that forms a part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Its primary natural source is the sun, but could also be emitted by artificial sources such as UVB lights, excimer lasers and fluorescents. Most UVB produced by sunlight is absorbed by oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere and forms the ozone layer of lower stratosphere. When the amount of ozone in the ozone layer is reduced, more UVB radiation reaches the surface of earth and can cause damaging effects to human health such as skin and eye, nevertheless UVB could also beneficial in some ways when it comes to produce vitamin D and used in medical devices.
“In 2008, 21,000 Canadians died from the effects of air pollution.”(Geduld) Although most of these deaths are from long term exposure to the pollutants there was still “2,682 deaths caused from short term exposure.”(Geduld).“5.5 percent of cardiopulmonary (heart and lung disease related) deaths can be attributed to ground-level ozone exposure, which has increased over the past decade.” (David Suzuki Foundation)
Scientists have performed many different tests and studies to learn more about high exposure to UV. Close observation of cells have shown that sunlight, natural or artificial, can cause mutations or DNA damage in cells. This can lead to further damage which will then be passed down through generations. Another study scientists perform is on animals. Scientist will expose your typical lab animals to UV rays, and this test typically results in skin cancer on the animal. These studies have been performed with UVA, UVB, and UVC, and they have all proven
UV radiation causes significant damage to human skin, in the form of sunburns, aging, skin cancer, and nonmelanoma tumors. Human skin damage is primarily a result of tanning. The
The drought increases the likelihood of wildfires, which release harmful smoke into the air. The California drought produces many harmful substances, which affect air quality and harm human health. Ozone is the principal component of smog and it is dangerous at ground level, which affects human health, crops, and buildings. Ozone smog is formed when vehicle and factory pollution react with sunlight and heat (Climate Change, 2007).
Pollution is a massive problem, due to burning excessive amounts of fossil fuels and produces global warming. The rising in temperature of earth has resulted huge melting of polar ice caps, flooding of low-lying areas, and also rise in sea levels. If these conditions conquer the surface of earth it will face radical changes. Hence, the ozone holes are also being created trough this process, that creates a harmful UV rays that enters the earth surface. Apparently it affect human life trough causing diseases like cancer. Melanin that present in the skin reacts trough these high wave radiations. Skin cancer is one of the major forms of disease that known to be caused due to these reactions of the pigment present in the skin and infra-red rays. Besides that, when burnt sulphur, dioxide gas will also be produced. This factor forms acid rain. Acid rain could leads to destructions of most of monuments that were made up of brickwork or marbles. Even a lot of crops are affected due to the acidification of loams.
The depletion of the ozone layer has been a trending topic after it was first discovered in 1970. The ozone layer is a portion of the earth’s stratosphere which absorbs most of the sun’s UV rays hence preventing cancer and other fatal illness to the skin. It contains high concentrations of O3 and at a constant rate is being broken down and. Since 1970, it has been discovered that about 4% of the ozone layer wears off every decade and is as a result of day-to-day human activity.
The effects of using fossil fuels are starker than their timelines. Humans release approximately two billion metric tons of pollution annually, mostly from the burning of coal, oil, and natural gas; this pollution is destroying our environment and the ozone layer. Ozone and smog damage forests, crops, and other plant life, and reduces visibility. Other pollutants have the same
In 1970, Crutzen first showed that nitrogen oxides produced by decaying nitrous oxide from soil-borne microbes react catalytically with ozone hastening its depletion. His findings started research on "global biogeochemical cycles" as well as the effects of supersonic transport aircraft that release nitrogen oxide into the stratosphere.2 In 1974, Molina and Rowland found that human-made chlorofluorocarbons used for making foam, cleaning fluids, refrigerants, and repellents transform into ozone-depleting agents.3 Chlorofluorocarbons stay in the atmosphere for several decades due to their long tropospheric lifetimes. These compounds are carried into the stratosphere where they undergo hundreds of catalytic cycles with ozone.4 They are broken down into chlorine atoms by ultraviolet radiation.5 Chlorine acts as the catalyst for breaking down atomic oxygen and molecular ozone into two molecules of molecular oxygen.
effect. A lot of the rays from the sun are absorbed by water vapor that is naturally in our
...rbon dioxide, hazardous chemicals, and other pollutants, which can put a hole in the ozone. Also, the usage of some mineral resources can also pollute the air; burning any kind of fuel fossils releases dangerous elements into the air, such as carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. All of these kinds of pollution which are caused by the increase of technology, can lead to global environmental problems.
The environmental issue that I’ve chosen is air pollution. Air Pollution is a huge environmental issue not only in the United States but all over the world. I picked this issue because of the affect that it has on our entire world. This is a highly important issue that people should be aware of because of the huge effect it has on practically everyone. In my essay I will address what air pollution is and how it starts, I will talk about which cities have high pollution verses cities with low pollution, what’s being done to change, and the affect it has on humans, animals, and our earth.