CHEMISTRY

PROJECT

NAME: RAVINA
CLASS: - X B
ROLL NO: - 23

TOPIC
OZONE
DEPLETION
&
ITS
CONSEQUENCES

INDEX
S.N
CONTENT
o.
1. INTRODUCTION
2. CAUSES OF OZONE
DEPLETION
3. IMPACT OF OZONE
DEPLETION
4. OZONE HOLE & ITS CAUSES
5. CONSEQUENCES OF OZONE
LAYER DEPLETION
6. OZONE DEPLETION & GLOBAL
WARMING
7. WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT
OZONE DEPLETION?
8. WORLD OZONE DAY
9. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

10.BIBLIOGRAPHY

INTRODUCTION
OZONE DEPLETION
Ozone depletion describes two distinct but
related phenomena observed since the late
1970s: a steady decline of about 4% per
decade
in
the
total
volume
of ozone in Earth's stratosphere (the ozone
layer), and a much larger springtime
decrease in stratospheric ozone over Earth's
Polar Regions. The latter phenomenon is
referred to as the ozone hole. In addition to
these well-known stratospheric phenomena,
there are also springtime polar troposphere
ozone depletion events.
In The stratosphere is photo dissociation of
man- The details of polar ozone hole
formation differ from that of mid-latitude
thinning, but the most important process in
both is catalytic destruction of ozone by
atomic halogens. The main source of these
halogen
atoms
made halocarbon refrigerants, solvents, pro
pellants,
and
foam-blowing

agents (CFCs
These
into

, HCFCs, freons, halons).

compounds are transported
the stratosphere after
being emitted
at the surface.
Both types of
ozone
depletion
have
been
observed
to
increase
as
emissions
of
halo-carbons
increased.

CFCs and other contributory substances are

referred
to
as ozone-depleting
substances (ODS). Since the ozone layer
prevents most
harmful
UVB
wavelengths
(280315 nm)
of
ultraviolet
light (UV light)
from
passing
through
the
Earth's
atmosphere,
observed
and
projected
decreases
in
ozone
have
generated worldwide concern leading to
adoption of the Montreal Protocol that bans
the production of CFCs, halons, and other
ozone-depleting chemicals such as carbon
tetrachloride and trichloroethane.

CAUSES OF
OZONE

DEPLETION
Scientific
evidence
indicates
that
stratospheric ozone is being destroyed by a
group
of
manufactured
chemicals,
containing chlorine and/or bromine. These
chemicals are called "ozone-depleting
substances" (ODS).
ODS are very stable, nontoxic and
environmentally
safe
in
the
lower
atmosphere, which is why they became so
popular in the first place. However, their
very stability allows them to float up, intact,
to the stratosphere. Once there, they are
broken apart by the intense ultraviolet light,
releasing chlorine and bromine. Chlorine and
bromine demolish ozone at an alarming
rate, by stripping an atom from the ozone
molecule. A single molecule of chlorine can
break apart thousands of molecules of
ozone.
What's more, ODS have a long lifetime in
our atmosphere up to several centuries.
This means most of the ODS we've released
over the last 80 years are still making their
way to the stratosphere, where they will add
to the ozone destruction.

The main ODS are chlorofluorocarbons

(CFCs), hydrochlorofluorcarbons (HCFCs),
carbon tetrachloride and methyl chloroform.
Halons (brominates fluorocarbons) also play
a large role. Their application is quite
limited: they're used in specialized fire
extinguishers. But the problem with halons
is they can destroy up to 10 times as much
ozone as CFCs can. For this reason, halons
are the most serious ozone-depleting group
of chemicals emitted in British Columbia.
Hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs) are being
developed to replace CFCs and HCFCs, for
uses such as vehicle air conditioning. HFCs
do not deplete ozone, but they are strong
greenhouse gases. CFCs are even more
powerful contributors to global climate
change, though, so HFCs are still the better
option until even safer substitutes are
discovered.

IMPACT OF OZONE
DEPLETION
Stratospheric ozone filters out most of the
sun's
potentially
harmful
shortwave
ultraviolet (UV) radiation. If this ozone
becomes
depleted,
then
more
UV
rays will reach the earth. Exposure to higher
amounts of UV radiation could have serious
impacts on human beings, animals and
plants, such as the following:
Harm to human health:
More skin cancers, sunburns and
premature aging of the skin.

 More cataracts, blindness and other eye

diseases: UV radiation can damage several
parts of the eye, including the lens,
cornea, retina and conjunctiva.
Cataracts (a clouding of the lens) are the
major cause of blindness in the world. A
sustained 10% thinning of the ozone layer
is expected to result in almost two million
new cases of cataracts per year, globally
(Environment Canada, 1993).
Weakening
of
the
human immune
system (immunosuppressant).
Early
findings suggest that too much UV
radiation can suppress the human immune
system, which may play a role in the
development of skin cancer.
Adverse impacts on agriculture, forestry
and natural ecosystems:
Several of the world's major crop species
are particularly vulnerable to increased
UV,
resulting
in
reduced
growth,
photosynthesis and flowering. These
species include wheat, rice, barley, oats,
corn,
soybeans,
peas,
tomatoes,

cucumbers, cauliflower,
broccoli and
carrots.
The effect of ozone depletion on the
Canadian agricultural sector could be
significant.
Only a few commercially important trees
have been tested for UV (UV-B) sensitivity,
but early results suggest that plant
growth, especially in seedlings, is harmed
by more intense UV radiation.
Damage to marine life:
In particular, plankton (tiny organisms in
the surface layer of oceans) is threatened
by increased UV radiation. Plankton is the
first vital step in aquatic food chains.
Decreases in plankton could disrupt the
fresh and saltwater food chains, and lead
to a species shift in Canadian waters.
Loss of biodiversity in our oceans, rivers
and lakes could reduce fish yields for
commercial and sport fisheries.
Animals:
In domestic animals, UV overexposure
may cause eye and skin cancers. Species
of marine animals in their developmental

stage (e.g. young fish, shrimp larvae and

crab larvae) have been threatened in
recent years by the increased UV radiation
under the Antarctic ozone hole.
Materials:
Wood, plastic, rubber, fabrics and
many construction materials are degraded
by UV radiation.
The economic impact of replacing and/or
protecting materials could be significant.

OZONE HOLE
&

ITS CAUSES
The Antarctic ozone hole is an area of the
Antarctic stratosphere in which the recent
ozone levels have dropped to as low as 33%
of their pre-1975 values. The ozone hole
occurs during the Antarctic spring, from
September to early December, as strong
westerly winds start to circulate around the
continent and create an atmospheric
container. Within this polar vortex, over 50%
of the lower stratospheric ozone is
destroyed during the Antarctic spring.

As
explained
above, the primary
cause of ozone
depletion is the
presence
of
chlorine-containing
source
gases
(primarily
CFCs
and
related
halocarbons).
In
the presence of UV
light, these gases dissociate, releasing
chlorine atoms, which then go on to catalyze
ozone destruction. The Cl-catalyzed ozone
depletion can take place in the gas phase,
but it is dramatically enhanced in the
presence
of polar
stratospheric
clouds (PSCs).
These polar stratospheric clouds (PSC) form
during winter, in the extreme cold. Polar
winters are dark, consisting of 3 months
without solar radiation (sunlight). The lack of
sunlight contributes to a decrease in
temperature and the polar vortex traps and
chills air. Temperatures hover around or
below 80 C. These low temperatures form
cloud particles. There are three types of PSC

cloudsnitric acid trihydrate clouds, slowly

cooling water-ice clouds, and rapid cooling
water-ice
(nacreous)
cloudsprovide
surfaces for chemical reactions whose
products will, in the spring lead to ozone
destruction.

The photochemical processes involved are

complex but well understood. The key
observation is that, ordinarily, most of the
chlorine in the stratosphere resides in
"reservoir" compounds, primarily chlorine
nitrate (ClONO 2) as well as stable end
product such as HCl. The formations of end
products essentially remove Cl from the
ozone depletion process. The former
sequester Cl, which can be later made
available via absorption of light at shorter
wavelengths than 400 nm. During the
Antarctic winter and spring, however,
reactions on the surface of the polar
stratospheric cloud particles convert these
"reservoir" compounds into reactive free
radicals (Cl and ClO). The process by which
the
clouds
remove NO2 from
the
stratosphere by converting it to nitric acid in
the PSC particles, which then are lost by
sedimentation, is called denitrification.

2. The role of sunlight in ozone depletion is

the reason why the Antarctic ozone
depletion is greatest during spring. During
winter, even though PSCs are at their most
abundant, there is no light over the pole to
drive chemical reactions. During the spring,
however, the sun comes out, providing
energy to drive photochemical reactions and
melt the polar stratospheric clouds,
releasing considerable ClO, which drives the
hole
mechanism.
Further
warming
temperatures near the end of spring break
up the vortex around mid-December. As
warm,
ozone
and NO
2-rich air flows in from lower latitudes, the
PSCs are destroyed, the enhanced ozone
depletion process shuts down, and the
ozone hole closes.
Most of the ozone that is destroyed is in the
lower stratosphere, in contrast to the much
smaller
ozone
depletion
through
homogeneous gas phase reactions, which
occurs primarily in the upper stratosphere.

CONSEQUENCES
OF
OZONE LAYER
DEPLETION
Since
the
ozone
layer
absorbs UVB ultraviolet light from the sun,
ozone layer depletion is expected to
increase surface UVB levels, which could
lead to damage, including increase in skin
cancer. This was the reason for the Montreal
Protocol.
Although
decreases
in
stratospheric ozone are well-tied to CFCs
and there are good theoretical reasons to
believe that decreases in ozone will lead to
increases in surface UVB, there is no direct
observational
evidence
linking
ozone
depletion to higher incidence of skin cancer
and eye damage in human beings. This is

partly because UVA, which has also been

implicated in some forms of skin cancer, is
not absorbed by ozone, and it is nearly
impossible to control statistics for lifestyle
changes in the populace.
Increased UV
Ozone, while a minority constituent in
Earth's atmosphere, is responsible for most
of the absorption of UVB radiation. The
amount of UVB radiation that penetrates
through
the
ozone
layer decreases
exponentially with the slant-path thickness
and density of the layer. When stratospheric
ozone levels begin depleting, higher levels
of UVB reaching the Earths surface will
become more frequent. This means that the
less ozone there is, the less protection there
will be, and hence more UVB reaches the
Earth. Correspondingly, a decrease in
atmospheric ozone is expected to give rise
to significantly increased levels of UVB near
the
surface.
Ozone-driven
phenolic
formation in tree rings has dated the start of
ozone depletion in northern latitudes to the
late 1700s.
Increases in surface UVB due to the ozone
hole can be partially inferred by radioactive
transfer model calculations, but cannot be
calculated
from
direct
measurements

because of the lack of reliable historical

(pre-ozone-hole) surface UV data, although
more recent surface UV observation
measurement programmes exist (e.g. at
Lauder, New Zealand).
Biological effects
The main public concern regarding the
ozone hole has been the effects of increased
surface UV radiation on human health. So
far, ozone depletion in most locations has
been typically a few percent and, as noted
above, no direct evidence of health damage
is available in most latitudes. Were the high
levels of depletion seen in the ozone hole
ever to be common across the globe, the
effects
could
be
substantially
more
dramatic. As the ozone hole over Antarctica
has in some instances grown so large as to
reach southern parts of Australia, New
Zealand, Chile, Argentina, and South Africa,
environmentalists have been concerned that
the increase in surface UV could be
significant.
Malignant melanoma
Another
form
of
skin
cancer,
malignant melanoma, is much less common
but far more dangerous, being lethal in
about 1520% of the cases diagnosed. The

relationship between malignant melanoma

and ultraviolet exposure is not yet well
understood, but it appears that both UVB
and UVA are involved. Experiments on fish
suggest that 90 to 95% of malignant
melanomas may be due to UVA and visible
radiation whereas experiments on opossums
suggest a larger role for UVB. Because of
this uncertainty, it is difficult to estimate the
impact of ozone depletion on melanoma
incidence. One study showed that a 10%
increase in UVB radiation was associated
with a 19% increase in melanomas for men
and 16% for women. A study of people
in Punta Arenas, at the southern tip of Chile,
showed a 56% increase in melanoma and a
46% increase in no melanoma skin cancer
over a period of seven years, along with
decreased ozone and increased UVB levels.
Increased production of vitamin D
Vitamin D is produced in the skin by
ultraviolet light. Thus, higher UV-B exposure
raises human vitamin D in those deficient in
it. Recent research (primarily since the
Montreal protocol), shows that many
humans have less than optimal vitamin D
levels. In particular, in the U.S. population,
the
lowest
quarter
of
vitamin
D
(<17.8 ng/ml) were found using information

from the National Health and Nutrition

Examination Survey to be associated with
an increase in all cause mortality in the
general population While blood level of
Vitamin D in excess of 100 ng/ml appear to
raise blood calcium excessively and to be
associated with higher mortality, the body
has mechanisms that prevent sunlight from
producing Vitamin D in excess of the body's
requirements.

OZONE DEPLETION
&
GLOBAL WARMING
There are five areas of linkage between
ozone depletion and global warming:
Radiative forcing from various greenhouse
gases and other sources.
The same CO2 radiative forcing that
produces global warming is expected to

cool the stratosphere. This cooling, in turn,

is
expected
to
produce
a
relative increase in ozone (O3) depletion
in polar area and the frequency of ozone
holes.
One of the strongest predictions of the
greenhouse effect is that the stratosphere
will cool. Although this cooling has been
observed, it is not trivial to separate the
effects of changes in the concentration of
greenhouse gases and ozone depletion
since both will lead to cooling. However,
this
can
be
done
by
numerical
stratospheric modelling. Results from the
National
Oceanic
and
Atmospheric
Administration's Geophysical
Fluid
Dynamics Laboratory show that above
20 km (12 mi), the greenhouse gases
dominate the cooling.
As noted under 'Public Policy', ozone
depleting chemicals are also often
greenhouse gases. The increases in
concentrations of these chemicals have
produced 0.34 0.03 W/m2 of radiative
forcing, corresponding to about 14% of the
total radiative forcing from increases in
the
concentrations
of
well-mixed
greenhouse gases.

 The long term modelling of the process,

its measurement, study, design of theories
and testing take decades to document,
gain wide acceptance, and ultimately
become the dominant paradigm. Several
theories about the destruction of ozone
were hypothesized in the 1980s, published
in the late 1990s, and are currently being
investigated. Dr Drew Schindell, and Dr
Paul Newman, NASA Goddard, proposed a
theory
in
the
late
1990s,
using
computational modelling methods to
model ozone destruction that accounted
for 78% of the ozone destroyed. Further
refinement of that model accounted for
89% of the ozone destroyed, but pushed
back the estimated recovery of the ozone
hole from 75 years to 150 years. (An
important part of that model is the lack of
stratospheric flight due to depletion of
fossil fuels.)

WHAT YOU CAN DO

ABOUT OZONE
DEPLETION?
Help Prevent Further Ozone Depletion
The nations of the world have taken a
crucial step in joining together to halt the
production and use of ozone-destroying
chemicals. But the work can't stop there.
Here's what you can do:
Know the rules:

It is illegal to recharge refrigerators,

freezers
and
home/vehicle
air
conditioners with CFCs.


If you have an older vehicle with an
air conditioner*, have it serviced by a
qualified technician, and make sure the
CFC is recaptured and recycled by
technician who is specifically certified to
do this work. If you don't use your air
conditioner or if the vehicle is about to
be scrapped make sure a qualified
technician recaptures and recycles the
CFC.

The same rules apply to older

refrigerators freezers and home air
conditioners, which may contain CFCs.

Don't buy or use portable fire

extinguishers that contain halons.
Protect Yourself from Ultraviolet (UV)
Radiation Some ultraviolet (UV)
radiation from the sun has always reached
the earth, but most of it has been screened
out by the ozone layer. There has always
been a reason for people to avoid too much
of the sun's damaging rays. But this is true
now more than ever, due to ozone
depletion. Be sun safe. Follow these tips:
There's no such thing as a "healthy" tan.
Tanning isn't good for you, especially

when the ozone layer is depleted. Fairskinned

people
are
particularly
vulnerable to UV radiation, as are infants
and children but everyone should be
careful.
Be aware that UV radiation is most
intense during the summer, so take extra
precautions. Don't overlook all the
"innocent" minutes throughout the year
when you're outside briefly. They can add
up to a lot of radiation.
Sit in the shade, and avoid prolonged
exposure when the sun is high: between
10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Wear protective clothing and a broadbrimmed sunhat. Sunglasses with 100%
UV protection are also important.
Use a good sunscreen and apply it
liberally. It should have a sun-protection
factor (SPF) of 30 or higher, and screen
both UV-A and UV-B rays.
Reapply sunscreen after you've been
swimming or perspiring a lot.
Taking a holiday in your favourite tropical
isle? Have fun, but be very cautious
about those UV rays. Though ozone
depletion is not as pronounced near the
equator, the ultraviolet radiation is

extremely intense, mainly due to the

angle of the sun.

WORLD OZONE
DAY
World Ozone Day is celebrated every year
on 16th September since 1995. This Day
marks the importance of Ozone layer and its
role in the environment. The United Nations
General Assembly has designated this Day
to reflect the adoption of Montreal Protocol
on substances that deplete the Ozone layer.
There are numerous activities and programs
organized to spread awareness about the
global
phenomenon
of
Ozone
layer
depletion. All member nations of the
Montreal protocol take this opportunity to
take some concrete steps at their national
level in accordance with the aims and
objectives of Montreal Protocol.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I am very thankful to everyone who all
supported me, for I have completed my
project effectively and moreover on
time.
I am equally grateful to my teacher Mrs.
Charu Bhatnagar Maam. She gave me
moral support and guided me in
different matters regarding Ozone
Depletion. She had been very kind and
patient while suggesting me the outlines
of this project and correcting my doubts.
I thank her for her overall supports.

Last but not the least , I would like to

thank my parents who helped me a lot
in gathering different information,
collecting data and guiding me from
time to time in making this project ,
despite of their busy schedules , they
gave me different ideas in making this
project unique.
Thanking you
Ravina
X-B
Science

BIBLIOGRAPHY
http://www.wikipedia.org
http://www.festivalsofindia.in/
http://www.bcairquality.ca/

 http://environment.nationalgeographi
c.com/
http://www.epa.gov/ozone/science/