OZONE LAYER DEPLETION :-

Ozone is a layer in the earth’s atmosphere containing a high concentration of ozone,

which does not allow or absorb most of the ultraviolet radiation that are emitted from the
sun to reach the earth surface. These radiations are dangerous to living organism
present on the earth including humans and may lead to various kind of disease. The
ozone layer is mainly found in the lower portion of the stratosphere, about 20 – 30 km
above the earth surface.

Ozone layer depletion is nothing but a hole or the thinning of the ozone layer from which
radiation might enter in the earth’s atmosphere. It is caused by the release of chemical
compound like chorine or bromine from industry or from human activity. The thinning of
ozone layer is most pronounced in the polar regions, especially over the Antarctica. It is
the major environmental problem because it increases the amount of ultraviolet
radiation to enter and increase the rate of skin cancer, eye cataract and genetic and
immune system damage.

Ozone depletion describes two related events observed since the late 1970s. In 1974,
an American scientist recognized that human produced chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs)
molecules containing only carbon, fluorine and chlorine atoms that could be the major
source of chlorine in the stratosphere. They also noted that chlorine could destroy
excessive amount of ozone after it was liberated from the CFCs by UV radiation.

The main cause of ozone depletion and the ozone hole is manufactured chemicals,
especially manufactured halocarbon refrigerants, solvents, propellants and foam-
blowing agents(chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), HCFCs, halons), referred to as ozone-
depleting substances(ODS). These compounds are transported into the
stratosphere after being emitted from the surface, mixing much faster than the
molecules can settle. Once in the stratosphere, they release halogen atoms
through photodissociation, which catalyze the breakdown of ozone(O3) into oxygen(O2).

 Cl· + O3 → ClO + O2
A chlorine atom removes an oxygen atom from an ozone molecule to make a ClO
molecule

 ClO + O3 → Cl· + 2 O2
This ClO can also remove an oxygen atom from another ozone molecule; the chlorine
is free to repeat this two-step cycle
Ozone depletion and the ozone hole have generated worldwide concern over increased
cancer risks and other negative effects. These concerns led to the adoption of
the Montreal Protocol in 1987, which bans the production of CFCs, halons and other
ozone-depleting chemicals. The ban came into effect in 1989. Ozone levels stabilized
by the mid-1990s and began to recover in the 2000s. Recovery is projected to continue
over the next century, and the ozone hole is expected to reach pre-1980 levels by
around 2075. The Montreal Protocol is considered the most successful international
environmental agreement to date.

Since ozone is a greenhouse gas, the breakdown and anticipated recovery of the ozone
layer affects Earth’s climate. Scientific analyses show that the decrease in stratospheric
ozone observed since the 1970s has produced a cooling effect—or, more accurately,
that it has counteracted a small part of the warming that has resulted from rising
concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases during this period. As the
ozone layer slowly recovers in the coming decades, this cooling effect is expected to
recede.
In 1994, the United Nations General Assembly voted to designate September 16 as
the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, or "World Ozone Day", to
commemorate the signing of the Montreal Protocol on that date in 1987.