Ozone is a form of triatomic oxygen (O3) molecules which is highly poisonous to a living system. There is a layer of ozone, O3, surrounding the earth. It is 5 km thick located at a distance of 25-30 km from the earth’s surface. Ozone performs an essential function for us. It cuts out some of the ultraviolet light coming from the Sun. Ultraviolet light is bad for us and for crops. Long exposure to ultraviolet light can cause skin cancer, damage to eyes and immune system. An excess of ultraviolet light kills phytoplankton, the minute aquatic plant life. It may also disrupt global rainfall, cause ecological disturbances and bring about a reduction in global food supplies.
The following are the main cause of depletion of the ozone layer:
There are several reasons for the depletion of the ozone layer. The foremost is the use of chlorofluorocarbons CFCs, (CFC’s is a man-made compound). The other factor responsible for ozone destruction is the pollutant nitrogen monoxide (NO). CFCs are very stable and are found to persist in the atmosphere. Once, they reach the ozone layer, they react with the ozone molecules, resulting in the reduction of the ozone layer. A few years back, a hole in the ozone layer was discovered above Antarctica.
