ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION

OZONE LAYER DEPLETION

THEORY

Ozone layer Depletion

The ozone layer protects the Earth from the ultraviolet rays sent down by the sun. If the ozone layer is
depleted, the effects on the planet could be catastrophic.
Ozone is present in the stratosphere. The stratosphere reaches 30 miles above the Earth, and at the
very top it contains ozone. The ultraviolet rays are absorbed by the ozone in the stratosphere and thus
do not reach the Earth.
Ozone is a bluish gas that is formed by three atoms of oxygen. The form of oxygen that humans breathe
in consists of two oxygen atoms, O2. When found on the surface of the planet, ozone is considered a
dangerous pollutant and is one substance responsible for producing the greenhouse effect.
The highest regions of the stratosphere contain about 90% of all ozone.
In recent years, the ozone layer has been the subject of much discussion. And rightly so, because the
ozone layer protects both plant and animal life on the planet.
The fact that the ozone layer was being depleted was discovered in the mid-1980s. The main cause of
this is the release of CFCs, chlorofluorocarbons.

Causes of Ozone layer depletion:

The production and emission of CFCs, chlorofluorocarbons, is by far the leading cause.
Aircraft emissions of nitrogen oxides and water vapour add to this depletion effect by creating ice
crystals that serve as a base for ozone destroying reactions.
CFCs are used in industry in a variety of ways and have been amazingly useful in many products.
Discovered in the 1930s by American chemist Thomas Midgley, CFCs came to be used in refrigerators,
home insulation, plastic foam, and throwaway food containers.
Only later did people realize the disaster CFCs caused in the stratosphere. There, the chlorine atom is
removed from the CFC and attracts one of the three oxygen atoms in the ozone molecule. The process
continues, and a single chlorine atom can destroy over 100,000 molecules of ozone.

Effects of Ozone layer depletion:

Even minor problems of ozone depletion can have major effects. Every time even a small amount of the
ozone layer is lost, more ultraviolet light from the sun can reach the Earth.
Every time 1% of the ozone layer is depleted, 2% more UV-B is able to reach the surface of the planet.
UV-B increase is one of the most harmful consequences of ozone depletion because it can cause skin
cancer.
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ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION

OZONE LAYER DEPLETION

THEORY

The increased cancer levels caused by exposure to this ultraviolet light could be enormous. The EPA
estimates that 60 million Americans born by the year 2075 will get skin cancer because of ozone
depletion. About one million of these people will die.
In addition to cancer, some research shows that a decreased ozone layer will increase rates of malaria
and other infectious diseases. According to the EPA, 17 million more cases of cataracts can also be
expected.
The environment will also be negatively affected by ozone depletion. The life cycles of plants will
change, disrupting the food chain. Effects on animals will also be severe, and are very difficult to
foresee.
Oceans will be hit hard as well. The most basic microscopic organisms such as plankton may not be able
to survive. If that happened, it would mean that all of the other animals that are above plankton in the
food chain would also die out. Other ecosystems such as forests and deserts will also be harmed.
The planet's climate could also be affected by depletion of the ozone layer. Wind patterns could
change, resulting in climatic changes throughout the world.

Acid Rain:
The term acid rain means any form of precipitation like rain, fog, snow, or hail that contains harmful
substances such as nitrogen and sulfur oxides. The major human sources do come from the industry,
transportation, and a variety of power plants. These industrial amounts of nitrogen, sulfur oxides and
general pollutants from the air cause a drastic increase of the acidity of the precipitation and do also
harm plants, humans, and buildings.
Acid rain occurs when these gases react in the atmosphere with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to
form various acidic compounds. The result is a mild solution of sulfuric acid and nitric acid. When sulfur
dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released from power plants and other sources, prevailing winds blow
these compounds across state and national borders, sometimes over hundreds of miles.
Acidity itself is determined based on the pH level of the water droplets. PH is the scale measuring the
amount of acid in the water and liquid. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14 with lower pH being more
acidic while a high pH is alkaline; seven is neutral. Normal rain water is slightly acidic and has a pH range
of 5.3-6.0. Acid deposition is anything below that scale.
Acid deposition can also occur via natural sources like volcanoes but it is mainly caused by the release of
sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide during fossil fuel combustion. When these gases are discharged into
the atmosphere they react with the water, oxygen, and other gases already present there to form
sulfuric acid, ammonium nitrate, and nitric acid. These acids then disperse over large areas because of
wind patterns and fall back to the ground as acid rain or other forms of precipitation.

ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION

OZONE LAYER DEPLETION

THEORY

Effects of Acid Rain

Aquatic settings are the most clearly impacted by acid deposition though because acidic precipitation
falls directly into them. Both dry and wet deposition also runs off of forests, fields, and roads and flows
into lakes, rivers, and streams.
As this acidic liquid flows into larger bodies of water, it is diluted but over time, acids can accrue and
lower the overall pH of the body. Acid deposition also causes clay soils to release aluminum and
magnesium further lowering the pH in some areas. If the pH of a lake drops below 4.8, its plants and
animals risk death and it is estimated that around 50,000 lakes in the United States and Canada have a
pH below normal (about 5.3 for water). Several hundred of these have a pH too low to support any
aquatic life.
Acid rain makes waters acidic and causes them to absorb the aluminum that makes its way from soil into
lakes and streams. This combination makes waters toxic to crayfish, clams, fish, and other aquatic
animals.
Aside from aquatic bodies, acid deposition can significantly impact forests. As acid rain falls on trees, it
can make them lose their leaves, damage their bark, and stunt their growth. By damaging these parts of
the tree, it makes them vulnerable to disease, extreme weather, and insects. Acid falling on a forests
soil is also harmful because it disrupts soil nutrients, kills microorganisms in the soil, and can sometimes
cause a calcium deficiency. Trees at high altitudes are also susceptible to problems induced by acidic
cloud cover as the moisture in the clouds blankets them.
Acid rain also damages forests, especially those at higher elevations. It robs the soil of essential
nutrients and releases aluminum in the soil, which makes it hard for trees to take up water. Trees' leaves
are also harmed by acids.
The effects of acid rain, combined with other environmental stressors, leave trees and plants less able to
withstand cold temperatures, insects, and disease. The pollutants may also inhibit trees' ability to
reproduce. Some soils are better able to neutralize acids than others. In areas where the soil's "buffering
capacity" is low, the harmful effects of acid rain are much greater.
Finally, acid deposition also has an impact on architecture and art because of its ability to corrode
certain materials. As acid lands on buildings (especially those constructed with limestone) it reacts with
minerals in the stones sometimes causing it to disintegrate and wash away. Acid deposition can also
corrode modern buildings, cars, railroad tracks, airplanes, steel bridges, and pipes above and below
ground.