CFC's and Ozone depletion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CFCs and Ozone depletion - Essay exerciseTherefore, appropriate action especially targeted against CFCs should be taken to reduce or stop the many controvert effects of ozone depletion (Callan and Thomas238 Miller 384). The ozone layer is basically ozone present in the stratosphere which protects the earth from ultraviolet beam from the sun. In the early 1980s, scientists discovered that the ozone layer seemed to become thinner and thinner, till an ozone hole the size of unification America was revealed over Antarctica. The theory largely accepted by scientists for this ozone hole is the presence of CFCs in the atmosphere. CFCs atomic number 18 a family of odorless chemical compounds which atomic number 18 normally used in air conditioning, refrigeration, insulation, packaging, and as aerosol propellants. Chemists found out that CFCs stay behind in the troposphere because they ar chemically unreactive and thus non soluble in water. Although they are heavier than air itself, CFCs can levitate into the stratosphere mostly through convection currents, random drifting, and the dotty mixing of air in the troposphere. Once they enter the stratosphere, the CFC molecules separate under(a) the impact of the high-power ultraviolet radiation, releasing chlorine, fluorine, bromine, and iodine atoms. These atoms are highly reactive, and so hasten the breakdown of the ozone layer in a repeated chain of chemical reactions. ... The thinning of the ozone layer allows more harmful ultraviolet radiation to reach the earths surface. Research has proved that exposure of human skin to a sealed type of ultraviolet radiation in sunlight is the main cause of basal kiosk and squamous cell skin cancers. Together, these two forms of cancers make up for ninety five percent of all skin cancers, and are responsible for about 2300 deaths in the United States each year. Moreover, these ultraviolet radiations increase the intensity of sunburns and cause insubordinate system supp ression. Besides this, ozone depletion reduces forest productivity for UV-sensitive tree species, decreases the population of certain aquatic species and surface phytoplankton (and as a result disrupts aquatic food webs), increases eye cataracts in particular species, and cuts down the yield of certain types of crops. What is more, the lessening of the ozone affects air pollution by increasing acid deposition and photochemical smog. CFCs, on the new(prenominal) hand, act as greenhouse gases and make the earth warmer, thus contributing to global warming (Miller 384, 385). As a result, it is extremely important to keep the level of ozone depletion and the amount of CFCs present in the atmosphere under control. One approach towards the emission of pollutants such as CFCs can be to replace them with other cleanly substances. For example, HFCs and HCFCs can be used in air conditioning equipment and refrigeration instead of CFCs because they have a lower potential of ozone depletion. T he pathways by which these substances are emitted can also be altered to prevent them from unveiling the atmosphere. Old vehicles mostly use CFCs in air conditioning. Therefore, it is necessary to make sure that such vehicles are serviced by qualified technicians in