Ozone Depletion Science Essay

Ozone Depletion The earth is covered with a gas known as ozone. Ozone can naturally form by itself, (Oblack) Ozone protects earth from Ultraviolet (UV) sunlight. The issue that earth and w face right now is that the ozone layer is depleting. And what exactly caused ozone depletion? This famous compound is called Chlorofluorocarbon commonly known as CFC. CFC can be found in cooler in refrigerator, sprayer. CFC doesn’t react pleasantly with the earth’s ozone layer. Without the ozone layer, living creatures will be affected by the danger of UV sunlight. The chemical reaction between CFC and O3 resulted on the breaking down of the ozone. The solution to this problem is to change product that use CFC into Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC).

The formula for the ozone layer is O3 but how does the ozone form itself? The forming of ozone layer is a chemical reaction between O2 and ultraviolet sunlight. The ultraviolet sunlight breaks the bond between O2, which then becomes only Oxygen. This single oxygen atom bond together with oxygen molecules (O2), this become O3. O3 can be also break down by the UV sunlight and form O2. This cycle is known as ‘The ozone cycle’ ("CFC) and it keeps on repeating itself. Here’s formula chemical reaction of the ozone cycle: O2 + UV ---> 2O O + O2 ---> O3 O3 + UV ---> O2 + O Now, here’s where the CFC interfere with the chemical reaction.

CFC is made out of 2 Chlorine atoms, 2 Fluorine atoms and a carbon atom. CFC stable in the troposphere but as soon as it reaches the stratosphere and got hit by UV sunlight the CFC bond breaks down. The Chlorine breaks down with the Carbon atom; Chlorine’s bond with the carbon is weaker than Fluorine’s bond with the Carbon. The single Chlorine atom reacts with O3 the ozone. The product of this reaction is dioxide and chlorine oxide. The chlorine oxide reacts again with the single oxygen atom that wanders around the stratosphere (CFCs). The product if

this reaction is Chlorine and oxygen molecules. The formula of this reaction is: CCl2CF2 ---> CClF2 + Cl Cl + O3 ---> ClO + O2 ClO + O ---> Cl + O2

This reaction is called as catalytic cycle. The Chlorine acts as a catalyst to O3. It fastens the breaking down on O3 .

The solution to this issue is replace CFC with HCFC. HCFC consist of Hydrogen, Carbon, Fluorine and Chlorine. HCFC is not as stable as CFC because HCFC has hydrocarbon bonds. These bonds will break down when the hydroxyl radical collides with the compound. Hydroxyl radical occurs in the lower part of the atmosphere, the troposphere. Hydroxyl radical wouldn’t react with CFC, because CFC doesn’t have hydrocarbon bonds. When the HCFC bonds are break the Chlorine does not reach the stratosphere; where the ozone compound. Science has solved this problem by changing the chemical from CFC to HCFC so that it would react differently to the ozone layer.

This impacts our earth, the environment that we live in. If the ozone layer isn’t breaking down as much, the earth has protection from UV sunlight. This will impact on the living things that live within the earth, us, the human being. Ultraviolet lights can cause skin cancer and sunburn, with the protection of ozone. The possibilities of getting skin cancer and sunburn decreased, because there is less UV that is being exposed to the human’s skin. Not only human that is being affected, but other living organism such as amphibians. UV lights can deform amphibian, some of them have extra legs, or less legs than the normal amounts.

HCFC have several limitations. HCFC doesn’t solve the ozone depletion problems fully, because a few portion of HCFC will eventually goes up to the stratosphere and the bonds will break, which produce Chlorine as a catalyst again. Secondly, HCFC are more expensive to manufacture compared to CFC. ("HFCs.").

The manufacturing of HCFC/HFC requires more expensive and complicated machineries and technology compared to CFC. In result, the selling cost of HCFC is more economically friendly than CFC, people would rather purchase CFC based product.

In conclusion, the solution to ozone depletion is to replace CFC with HCFC. However, like any other solution, HCFC also has it’s limitation.

HCFC reduce the amount of ozone depleting, because the reaction with the ozone (O3) and the atmosphere is different like the way CFC reacts.

The limitation of HCFC is that it is more expensive and complicated to manufacture, in result the cost is higher than CFC. People would prefer to buy CFC based product rather than HCFC/HFC. It doesn’t solve the ozone depleting fully, it reduce the effect but not solving it. Nevertheless, HCFC makes the rate of ozone depletion slower, allowing the ozone to reform itself in the stratosphere. In result, earth’s living organisms, including us human, are protected from the harm of UV radiation.

Works Cited: CFC's & Stratospheric Ozone. By HerrPingui. Youtube, 2008. Clip.

Oblack, Rachelle. "Ozone Layer Depletion." About.com Weather. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. <http://weather.about.com/od/climatechange/a/ozonecfc.htm>.

"CFC, Ozone and Free Radicals." Doc Brown's Chemistry. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. <http:// www.docbrown.info/page07/ASA2group7f.htm>.

"Earth System Research Laboratory." ESRL Global Monitoring Division - Carbon Cycle Group.

N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. <http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/hats/flask/hcfc.html>.

"HFCs." HFCs. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. <http://www.arap.org/docs/hfc-value.html>.

Picture: "E9 Further Ozone Depletion (HL)." IBEnvironmental Chemistry. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. <http://ibenvironmentalchemistry.wikispaces.com/E9 Further Ozone Depletion (HL)>. Â