1

OZONE LAYER
DEPLETION
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WHAT IS OZONE?
 Ozone is a form of oxygen with 3
oxygen atoms (O3).
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How is ozone produced?

It is formed when oxygen absorbs solar
radiation - O2 +h(<240nm)  O+O
O+ O2  O3
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OZONE LAYER
• Ozone is a triatomic form of oxygen (O3)
found in Earth’s upper and lower
atmosphere.

• The ozone layer, is situated in the

stratosphere about 15 to 30 km above the
earth's surface.
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Ozone Facts

100 60
Thermosphere

80 The amount of ozone within the stratosphere

varies according to altitude
50

Altitude (miles)
Altitude (km)

Mesosphere 40
60
30
40 90% of ozone is in the
stratosphere 20

20
10
10% of ozone is in the troposphere Troposphere
0 0
0 2 4 6 8
Ozone (parts per million)
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Why is the ozone layer important

• Ozone acts as the Earth’s protective
shield against the Sun’s harmful
Ultraviolet radiation (UV radiation).

• Without the ozone layer, life would not

exist on Earth!
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Why life would not exist?

Exposure to Ultraviolet rays results into;
• Sunburn (or erythema) is redness of the skin,
which is due to increased blood flow in the skin
caused by dilatation of the superficial blood
vessels in the dermis as a result of exposure to UV
radiation
• Tanning refers to delayed pigmentation of the
skin, or melanin pigmentation. It usually becomes
noticeable one to two days after exposure to the
sun and gradually increases for several days
persisting for weeks or months.
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Why life would not exist?

• Premature Aging of the Skin
One of the chronic effects resulting from
repeated exposure to UV radiation is premature
aging of the skin, which encompasses a number
of clinical signs that reflect structural changes in
the dermis. These clinical signs include dryness,
wrinkles
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Why life would not exist?

• Suppression of the Immune System
Suppression of the immune system resulting
from exposure to UV radiation is believed to be
an important contributor to the development of
nonmelanoma skin cancers.
• Damage to the Eyes
UV rays can also damage the eyes as more than
99% of UV radiation is absorbed by the front of
the eyes.
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Why life would not exist?

Corneal damage, cataracts, and macular
degeneration are all possible chronic effects
from UV exposure and can ultimately lead to
blindness
• Skin Cancer
Skin cancers are the most commonly occurring
cancers in terms of incidence in the world.
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UV radiation
• UV radiation is emitted from the sun with
wavelength from 200-400 nm
(nanometers)
• UV radiation is divided into three ranges
▫ UV-A, 320 - 400 nm
▫ UV-B, 290 - 320 nm
▫ UV-C, 200 - 290 nm
• The shorter wavelength are more harmful
to biological life.
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OZONE LAYER DEPLETION

• The Ozone layer depletion is caused by
chemicals called CFCs
(chlorofluorocarbons). CFCs escape into
the atmosphere from refrigeration and
propellant devices and processes, and
they are so stable they last for decades.
• This long life allows some CFCs to
eventually reach the stratosphere.
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• The chemicals that make up CFCs,

mainly chlorine and fluorine, float
around the stratosphere, breaking up
ozone molecules.

• One molecule of CFC can destroy more

than 100,000 molecules of
stratospheric ozone.
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The ozone depletion process

Destruction of ozone by chlorine

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Chemical reactions
• CCl3F + UV Light => CCl2F + Cl
• CCl2F2 + UV Light => CClF2 + Cl
• The chlorine atoms formed in the
above reactions readily depletes ozone
via a chain reaction:
• Cl + O3 => ClO + O2
• ClO + O => Cl + O2
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The important catalysts for

stratospheric O3 destruction
• Hydroxy radical (OH)
.OH + O3 = HO2. + O2
HO2. + O = .OH + O2 HOx cycle
Net: O + O3 = 2 O2
• Chlorine and bromine (Cl and Br)
Cl. + O3 = ClO. + O2
ClOx cycle
ClO. + O = Cl. + O2
Net: O + O3 = 2 O2
• Nitric oxide (NO)
NO + O3 = NO2 + O2
NO2 + O = NO + O2
NOx cycle
Net: O + O3 = 2 O2
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Ozone Depleting Substances

• Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s)
▫ Contains: Cl, F, C
▫ Long-lived, non-toxic, non-corrosive,
and non-flammable
▫ In 1960’s used in refrigerators, air
conditioners, spray cans, solvents, foams
▫ Phased out in 1996 in developed
countries
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• Hydrochlorofluorocarbons
(HCFCs)
▫ Contains: H, Cl, F, C
▫ First major replacement for CFC
▫ Much less destructive but also ozone
depleting
▫ Reduce HCFC’s by 35% in 2004 in
developed countries
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• Halons
▫ Contain: Br, Cl (in some but not all),
F, H (in some but not all), C
▫ Br many times more effective in
destroying O3
▫ Halons used in fire extinguishers
▫ Phased out in 1994
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• Methyl Bromide (CH3Br)

▫ an effective pesticide, used to
fumigate e.g. soil and products
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Breakdown of Sources

Ae ro s o ls
5% Othe r P ro duc ts
12%

S o lve nt C le a ning
P ro duc ts
F o a m P ro duc ts 36%
14%

R e frige ra tio n
a nd Air
C o nditio ning
30%

S te riliza tio n
3%
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Responsibility for ozone damage each

year
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OZONE HOLE
The ozone hole is a region of
depleted ozone in the stratosphere
over the Antarctic that happens at the
beginning of Southern Hemisphere
spring
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WHERE IS THE OZONE HOLE?

Ozone hole largely restricted to areas over
Antarctica
Ozone hole may pass over tip of South
America
Ozone hole seldom comes near Australia.
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Who discovered the Ozone Hole?

• The Antarctic Ozone Hole was
discovered in 1985 by British scientists
Joseph Farman, Brian Gardiner, and
Jonathan Shanklin of the British
Antarctic Survey.
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September 2006

© NASA
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Monthly averages for October

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EFFECT OF OZONE LAYER

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Why Protect the Ozone Layer?

• Ozone Depletion leads to excessive UV-B
radiation.
• Excessive UV-B radiation leads to:
▫ More skin cancers
▫ Eye cataracts.
▫ Less productivity of plants.
▫ Loss of immunity to diseases.
▫ Adverse effects on plastics.
▫ Damage to ocean eco-ecosystems
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PROTECTING THE OZONE LAYER

• Ban the use of CFC’s
Have to replace with something
Current replacements are greenhouse
gases and do not eliminate ozone
depletion, just slow it down
• Air Quality Standards
Limit amounts of pollutants that can be
emitted by pollution sources
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What is being done about ozone

depletion?
 Montreal Protocol (1987): international
agreement designed to protect the
stratospheric ozone layer by phasing out
ozone depleting chemicals
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What is the Montreal Protocol?

• The Montreal Protocol says that the
production and consumption of
compounds that deplete ozone in the
stratosphere--chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
halons, carbon tetrachloride, and methyl
chloroform--are to be phased out by 2030.
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Montreal Protocol
• Vienna Convention in 1985
▫ framework agreement
• Montreal Protocol in 1987
▫ Phase-out schedules for CFCs and
halons
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• London Amendment in 1990

▫ accelerated phase outs; additional
CFC’s, CCl4, CH3CCl3
• Copenhagen Amendment in 1992
▫ added methyl bromide, HBFCs,
HCFCs
• Montreal Amendment in 1997
▫ finalized phase-out schedules for
methyl bromide
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Efforts Need to Be Continued

• Create reliable models
▫ To gain a better understanding of the
effects ozone depletion has on organisms
living within different ecosystems

• Enforcement of Montreal Protocol

▫ To reduce concentrations of chemicals
responsible for ozone depletion
...
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• Monitoring chemicals being emitted

• Gain a better overall understanding on just

how ozone depletion is affecting our
planet

Montreal Protocol
Summary of Montreal Protocol control measures
Ozone depleting substances
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
Halons
Carbon tetrachloride
Methyl chloroform
Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) Freeze from beginning of 1996b
Hydrobromofluorocarbons (HBFCs)
Methyl bromide
(horticultural uses)
Bromochloromethane (BCM)
Developed countries
Phased out end of 1995a
Phased out end of 1993
Phased out end of 1995a
Phased out end of 1995a
35% reduction by 2004
75% reduction by 2010
90% reduction by 2015
Total phase out by 2020c
Phased out end of 1995
Freeze in 1995 at 1991 base levele
25% reduction by 1999
50% reduction by 2001
70% reduction by 2003
Total phase out by 2005
Phase out by 2002
41
Developing countries
Total phase out by 2010
Total phase out by 2010
Total phase out by 2010
Total phase out by 2015
Freeze in 2013 at a base level
calculated as
the average of 2009 and 2010
consumption levels
10% reduction by 2015
35% reduction by 2020
67.5% reduction by 2025
Total phase out by 2030d
Phased out end of 1995
Freeze in 2002 at average 1995-1998
base levele
20% reduction by 2005
Total phase out by 2015
Phase out by 2002
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Recovery of Ozone Layer

• Since the adoption and strengthening
of the Montreal Protocol has led to
reductions in the emissions of CFCs,
atmospheric concentrations of the
most significant compounds have
been declining. These substances are
being gradually removed from the
atmosphere.
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• By 2015, the Antarctic ozone hole

would be reduced by only 1 million
km² out of 25
• Complete recovery of the Antarctic
ozone layer will not occur until the
year 2050 or later.
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Signs of Recovery???
There have been some signs of recovery
▫ 1997 satellite showed a decline of
several known ozone-depleting
gases
▫ Satellite images show some slowing
down of ozone loss
However recovery is slow….
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Images of Antarctica Taken Indicate A Slow
Recovery