| Identifying Causes of Ozone Layer Depletion |
| Written by Daniel Stouffer | |
| Saturday, 28 March 2009 | |
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The causes of ozone layer depletion are many. All of them are categorized as manmade compounds which enter the upper atmosphere and cause damage. They are chloroflurocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons, methyl bromide, halons, methyl chloroform and carbon tetrachloride. As these substances enter the stratosphere, they are present for up to 200 years.
The causes of ozone layer depletion are many. All of them are categorized as manmade compounds which enter the upper atmosphere and cause damage. They are chloroflurocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons, methyl bromide, halons, methyl chloroform and carbon tetrachloride. As these substances enter the stratosphere, they are present for up to 200 years. Of all the causes of ozone layer depletion, chloroflurocarbons are the most damaging. Unfortunately, these gases are used in a diverse range of industries in numerous ways. For instance, refrigerant gas is used in the operation of refrigeration and air-conditioning systems and heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. Chloroflurocarbons are necessary in various firefighting equipment, aerosols, the manufacture of styrofoam and anesthetics. Since chloroflurocarbons are not removed by rain or broken down in the lower atmosphere, they rank high among the causes of ozone layer depletion. In the stratosphere, chloroflurocarbons are broken down into chlorine by the sun's ultraviolet rays. Just one chlorine atom will destroy the ozone for as long as two years. The gases fluorine, chlorine and bromine, all found in manmade halocarbons, are major causes of ozone layer depletion. The main contributors are chlorine atoms, which result from chloroflurocarbons molecules and bromine atoms, which result from halons. They significantly damage the ozone even through they are safe to use and cause no environmental harm on earth. Free radicals, like hydroxyl, nitric oxide, atomic chlorine and bromine, are among the various causes of ozone layer depletion. While hydroxyl and nitric oxide are present in the stratosphere naturally, chlorine and bromine occur due to human use. As their levels of use increase, harm to the ozone increases. The causes of ozone layer depletion trigger damage to the earth from the resulting high levels of ultraviolet rays or radiation exposure. Skin cancer will increase, the immune system in humans and animals will be weakened, plants will be damaged and plankton in oceans will be reduced. The entire balance of the earth's life system will be impacted. Since the causes of ozone layer depletion were identified, solutions were put into place to reduce or eliminate their usage. The U.S. Clean Air Act and the Montreal Protocols address the problem internationally. The goal of these treaties is to stop the damage to the ozone layer by phasing out known contributors. With these actions, it will still take at least a century before the harmful substances are completely eliminated from the stratosphere. Once that happens, the ozone layer is capable of recovering, returning to its normal state in about 100 years. A weakening of the stratospheric ozone was initially identified in 1974. By not addressing the causes of ozone layer depletion now, global warming is evident. As global warming begins, the temperature of the earth gets hotter, causing ice caps and glaciers to melt. Weather events, like droughts and hurricanes would become more severe. As the ozone layer significantly disappears, the earth would come in direct contact with the sun's heat and its damaging ultraviolet rays. The Article Author: Daniel Stouffer has a lot more data on the importance of effective refrigerant gas management and more data about the causes of ozone layer depletion. |
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