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The Ozone Depletion Process

CFCs and other ozone-depleting substances emitted into the atmosphere are transported to the stratosphere by winds over several years. In the stratosphere, UV light breaks these substances down into chlorine and bromine atoms which can destroy over 100,000 ozone molecules each. While ozone levels naturally fluctuate in a balanced cycle, the large increase in stratospheric chlorine and bromine from CFC emissions has disrupted this balance, causing ozone depletion and increased UVB radiation at the surface.

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Farah Khan
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43 views1 page

The Ozone Depletion Process

CFCs and other ozone-depleting substances emitted into the atmosphere are transported to the stratosphere by winds over several years. In the stratosphere, UV light breaks these substances down into chlorine and bromine atoms which can destroy over 100,000 ozone molecules each. While ozone levels naturally fluctuate in a balanced cycle, the large increase in stratospheric chlorine and bromine from CFC emissions has disrupted this balance, causing ozone depletion and increased UVB radiation at the surface.

Uploaded by

Farah Khan
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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The ozone depletion process begins when CFCs and other ozone-depleting substances (ODS) are

emitted into the atmosphere(1). Winds efficiently mix the troposphere and evenly distribute the
gases. CFCs are extremely stable, and they do not dissolve in rain. After a period of several
years, ODS molecules reach the stratosphere, about 10 kilometers above the Earth's surface (2).

Strong UV light breaks apart the ODS molecule. CFCs, HCFCs, carbon tetrachloride, methyl
chloroform, and other gases release chlorine atoms, and halons and methyl bromide release
bromine atoms (3). It is these atoms that actually destroy ozone, not the intact ODS molecule. It
is estimated that one chlorine atom can destroy over 100,000 ozone molecules before it is
removed from the stratosphere (4).

Ozone is constantly being produced and destroyed in a natural cycle. However, the overall
amount of ozone is essentially stable. This balance can be thought of as a stream's depth at a
particular location. Although individual water molecules are moving past the observer, the total
depeth remains constant. Similarly, while ozone production and destruction are balanced, ozone
levels remain stable. This was the situation until the past several decades.

Large increases in stratospheric chlorine and bromine, however, have upset that balance. In
effect, they have added a siphon downstream, removing ozone faster than natural ozone creation
reactions can keep up. Therefore, ozone levels fall.

Since ozone filters out harmful UVB radiation, less ozone means higher UVB levels at the
surface. The more depletion, the larger the increase in incoming UVB (5). UVB has been linked
to skin cancer, cataracts, damage to materials like plastics, and harm to certain crops and marine
organisms. Although some UVB reaches the surface even without ozone depletion, its harmful
effects will increase as a result of this problem (6).

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