If you have received a sunburn, then you have experienced an aggressive effect on yourself. To protect against UV rays, we most often use sunscreen. For our planet, the role of sunscreen is played by the ozone layer. Without this "shield" we would not just get tanned - nothing alive would be left on Earth over time.

Scientists suggest that the appearance of the Earth's ozone screen occurred four hundred million years ago. It was this process, in their opinion, that allowed microorganisms to rise from the ocean floor and reach land. This is how life appeared on Earth.

What is the ozone layer

The ozone layer is the lightest and thinnest layer in the atmosphere, which contains a relative concentration of ozone (up to 0.001%). The ozone layer protects our planet from dangerous ultraviolet radiation, which can cause significant damage to life on Earth.

However, the ozone layer does not only cover our planet. It can also be found on the surface of the earth - it is used for such purposes as bleaching paper pulp, disinfecting drinking water and removing unpleasant odors from products.

How is the ozone layer formed?

Ozone is an allotropic modification of oxygen. Ultraviolet rays split oxygen molecules, turning O 2 into O + O. After splitting, O joins other oxygen molecules, forming ozone (O 3 \u003d O + O 2).

Allotropic modifications are called substances that are similar in composition, but differ in chemical structure and, accordingly, physical properties.

O 3 and oxygen molecules "absorb" about 97-99% of harmful ultraviolet radiation, converting it into heat.

Where is the ozone layer

The ozone layer is located at an altitude of 10 to 50 km above the Earth's surface, in the upper atmosphere. The ozonosphere (or ozone screen) in different latitudes of the planet is at different levels. In tropical latitudes, the ozone layer is located at a distance of 25 to 30 km, in temperate latitudes - from 20 to 25 km, in the Arctic Circle the distance is even less - from 15 to 25 km.

Ozone layer thickness

The ozone layer is considered the thinnest in the atmosphere. The concentration of ozone in the upper layers is measured in Dobson units. One Dobson unit is 10 micrometers of pure ozone at 0°C and stable atmospheric pressure. The normal concentration of ozone is considered to be 300 units. It follows that the ozone layer is only 3,000 micrometers (3 millimeters) thick.

Gordon Miller Born Dobson - British physicist and meteorologist of the 20th century. He devoted his life to the study of ozone in the atmosphere and designed the first ozone spectrometer.

Ozone layer and UV radiation

The main task of the ozone layer is to protect the planet from dangerous solar radiation.

UV radiation in small doses is beneficial for the human body, because it is directly related to the production of vitamin D.

In modern medicine, this radiation is used to treat psoriasis, osteoporosis, jaundice, eczema and rickets. The treatment also takes into account the risk of negative effects, so any use of this radiation occurs under strict medical supervision.

Long-term human exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation can provoke the development of acute and chronic diseases of the skin, eyes and immune system.

Sunburn occurs as a result of prolonged exposure to UV radiation on the skin. It can cause degenerative changes in skin cells, fibrous tissue and blood vessels. Skin cancer and cataracts are the most serious and frequent consequences of ultraviolet irradiation.

The ozone layer serves as the Earth's natural shield and saves humanity from ultraviolet radiation, which also causes DNA mutations.

The power of ultraviolet radiation from the Sun is most often divided into three categories:

1. UV-A(from 320 to 400 nanometers): length not absorbed by ozone, as it is at a safe distance.
2. UV-B(280 to 320 nanometers): most is absorbed by ozone, but this wavelength can be harmful to sensitive skin.
3. UV-C(less than 280 nanometers): completely absorbed by ozone. The most dangerous length because it is the shortest and can destroy a good part of our ecosystem.

Years of studying the protective shield showed that above the Earth's surface, in some areas, the ozone layer began to thin. The first "gap" was discovered over Antarctica.

Synthetic and artificial substances formed as a result of industrial activity were recognized as the cause of damage and thinning of the Earth's ozonosphere.

The cause of ozone destruction is chlorofluorocarbons, a group of organic compounds containing fluorine, chlorine and carbon atoms. These compounds are non-toxic, stable and, interacting with air, do not form explosive substances.

Freon (refrigerant)- a bright representative of these compounds and includes more than 40 different substances. The scope of freon captures almost all spheres of human activity. For the first time, chlorofluorocarbons began to be used in the operation of refrigeration devices (refrigerators, air conditioners), replacing them with toxic and explosive ammonia and sulfur dioxide. Later, chlorofluorocarbons began to be widely exploited in aerosol cans, blowing agents, solvents, as well as in the food and perfume industries.

However, it is now known that under the influence of solar radiation, chlorofluorocarbons decompose in the atmosphere and form substances that effectively destroy ozone molecules. And if on Earth freon does not pose a danger to life, in the stratosphere it actively destroys the defense system of our planet.

In 1987, the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Program brought together scientists, diplomats, environmentalists, government officials, industry and commercial organizations to reach an agreement to phase out chemicals. In January 1989, the Montreal Protocol, the world's first international agreement on the management of chemical pollutants, entered into force.

As part of the protocol, it was decided to phase out the production and use of ozone-depleting chemicals, most notably a ban on the use of CFCs (chlorofluorocarbon) in spray aerosol cans.

Ozone holes

In 1985, an ozone "hole" with a diameter of more than 1,000 km was discovered over Antarctica. To this day, it is the largest and covers an area of ​​just under 20 million square meters. km.

Fortunately, there is no such hole. In fact, when scientists and popular means mass media refer to a hole in the ozone layer, we are talking about an area with a low concentration of ozone. The thickness of the ozone layer in this area varies depending on the season.

Why did the hole form just above Antarctica, if the main reason is dangerous emissions?

Scientists explain this phenomenon by the fact that chlorofluorocarbons are transported to Antarctica by air currents. Special climatic conditions, and specifically, extremely low temperatures (up to −80 ° C) contribute to the formation of stratospheric clouds.

A series of chemical reactions take place in these clouds. The chlorine contained in CFCs separates from other substances, crystallizes and remains in this state during the entire cold period. With the advent of spring, the intensity of ultraviolet rays intensifies, chlorine atoms are released, destroying ozone molecules. The result is an ozone hole.

A world without an ozone layer

The ozone hole over Antarctica is not the only one. The number of holes is growing every year around the world. The flow of solar radiation increases and causes outbreaks of skin cancers and cataracts, and children are more susceptible to this phenomenon.

To prove the importance of the ozone layer, scientists from the Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA) simulated the situation of the rapid destruction of the Earth's protective screen.

The team began by building a model of the Earth's system's atmospheric circulation that takes into account chemical reactions in the atmosphere, fluctuations in temperature and wind, changes in solar energy, and other elements of global climate change. Losses of ozone change the temperature in different parts of the atmosphere, and these changes promote or suppress chemical reactions.

Then the researchers increased the release of CFCs and similar compounds by 3% per year, which is about half as much as in the early 1970s, when chlorofluorocarbons were actively used in production and everyday life. The scientists allowed the simulated world to evolve from 1970 to 2065.

Year 2065. Almost two-thirds of the Earth's ozonosphere has disappeared. The largest ozone hole over Antarctica has a twin over the North Pole. Ultraviolet radiation hitting mid-latitude cities (such as Washington DC) is so strong that it can cause sunburn in as little as five minutes. Because of high level radiation increases the probability of DNA mutation by 650%.

Increased ultraviolet radiation will cause the death of plankton in the oceans and, consequently, reduce fish stocks. Also, ultraviolet light can have an adverse effect on plant growth, which will lead to the complete withering of agriculture.

There is a solution

Seeing a world without an ozone layer, scientists came to the conclusion that the destruction of stratospheric ozone can be stopped. Alternative substances that will not harm the Earth's protective shield exist. These include carbon dioxide, non-toxic propane, ammonia and isobutane (a natural refrigerant).

As environmentalists note, the planet's ozone shield is already recovering by 1-3% per decade. With favorable forecasts, ozone holes could disappear all over the planet by 2060. A NASA team of scientists suggests that the recovery of the ozone layer is related to the Montreal Protocol.

In 2018, specialists from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration discovered large emissions of an ozone-depleting gas, trichlorofluoromethane, into the atmosphere.

It was found that the epicenter of emissions is located in East Asia, and later more than 18 manufacturing factories in China themselves admitted to the unregistered use of freon.

Environmentalists believe that the integrity of the ozone layer can be affected by people themselves at the household level. The planet's ozone shield is also being attacked by greenhouse gases and air and land transport. The use of environmentally friendly fuels and the proper disposal of hazardous waste will play a significant role in saving the Earth.

It is worth starting the cleansing of the environment from a small island - your apartment. Through the open windows into our dwelling enters a large number of dust, harmful fumes, toxic emissions and unpleasant odors. It will help in this situation: thanks to a three-stage filtration system, the device prevents harmful substances, bacteria, allergens and viruses from entering the room from the street. Breezer fights stuffiness in the apartment and creates all the conditions for a comfortable life and peaceful sleep.

Conclusion

The problem of the destruction of the planet's ozone layer is closely related to the threat of global warming. There is an assumption that the restoration of the ozone layer will slow down the melting of ice

The government and many large industrial corporations play a big role in how we use the earth's resources. If the preservation of the environment becomes a priority for each of the states, it is possible that the destructive impact on our habitat will reach a minimum.

The earth is undoubtedly the most unique planet in our solar system. It is the only planet adapted for life. But we do not always appreciate it and believe that we are not able to change and disrupt what has been created over billions of years. In the entire history of existence, our planet has never received such loads that man gave it.

Ozone hole over Antarctica

There is an ozone layer on our planet, which is so necessary for our life. It protects us from the effects of ultraviolet rays from the sun. Without him, life on this planet would not be possible.

Ozone is a blue gas with a characteristic odor. Each of us knows this pungent smell, which is especially audible after rain. No wonder ozone in Greek means "smelling". It is formed at a height of up to 50 km from the surface of the earth. But most of it is located at 22 - 24 km.

Causes of ozone holes

In the early 1970s, scientists began to notice a decrease in the ozone layer. The reason for this is the entry into the upper layers of the stratosphere of ozone-depleting substances used in industry, the launch of rockets, and many other factors. These are mainly chlorine and bromine molecules. Chlorofluorocarbons and other substances released by man reach the stratosphere, where, under the influence of sunlight, they decompose into chlorine and burn ozone molecules. It has been proven that one molecule of chlorine can burn 100,000 molecules of ozone. And it keeps in the atmosphere from 75 to 111 years!

As a result of falling ozone, ozone holes occur in the atmosphere. The first was discovered in the early 80s in the Arctic. Its diameter was not very large, and the fall in ozone was 9 percent.

Ozone hole in the Arctic

An ozone hole is a large drop in the percentage of ozone in certain places in the atmosphere. The very word "hole" makes us understand this without further explanation.

In the spring of 1985, in Antarctica, over the station Halle Bay, the ozone content dropped by 40%. The hole turned out to be huge and has already moved beyond the boundaries of Antarctica. In height, its layer reaches up to 24 km. In 2008, it was estimated that its size is already more than 26 million km2. It stunned the whole world. Is it clear? that our atmosphere is in greater danger than we thought. Since 1971, the ozone layer has fallen by 7% worldwide. As a result, ultraviolet radiation from the Sun, which is biologically dangerous, began to fall on our planet.

Consequences of ozone holes

Doctors believe that as a result of the decrease in ozone, the percentage of skin cancer and blindness due to cataracts has increased. Human immunity also falls, which leads to various types of other diseases. The inhabitants of the upper layers of the oceans suffer the most. These are shrimps, crabs, algae, plankton, etc.

An international agreement has now been signed by the United Nations to reduce the use of ozone-depleting substances. But even if you stop using them. it will take more than 100 years to close the holes.

Can the ozone holes be repaired?

To date, scientists have proposed one way to restore ozone using aircraft. To do this, it is necessary to release oxygen or artificially created ozone at an altitude of 12-30 kilometers above the Earth and disperse it with a special atomizer. So little by little the ozone holes can be filled. The disadvantage of this method is that it requires significant economic waste. In addition, it is impossible to release a large amount of ozone into the atmosphere at one time. Also, the process of transporting ozone is complex and unsafe.

Myths about ozone holes

Since the problem of ozone holes remains open, several misconceptions have formed around it. Thus, the depletion of the ozone layer was sought to be turned into a fiction that is beneficial to industry, allegedly due to enrichment. On the contrary, all chlorofluorocarbon substances have been replaced with cheaper and safer components of natural origin.

Another false claim that supposedly ozone depleting freons are too heavy to reach the ozone layer. But in the atmosphere, all elements are mixed, and polluting components are able to reach the level of the stratosphere, in which the ozone layer is located.

You should not trust the statement that ozone is destroyed by halogens of natural origin, and not anthropogenic. This is not so, it is human activity that contributes to the release of various harmful substances that destroy the ozone layer. The consequences of the explosion of volcanoes and other natural disasters practically do not affect the state of ozone.

And the last myth is that ozone is destroyed only over Antarctica. In fact, ozone holes form everywhere in the atmosphere, causing the amount of ozone to decrease in general.

Forecasts for the future

Since the ozone holes have become, they have been closely monitored. Recently, the situation has become quite ambiguous. On the one hand, in many countries, small ozone holes appear and disappear, especially in industrialized areas, and on the other hand, there is a positive trend in the reduction of some large ozone holes.

In the course of observations, researchers recorded that the largest ozone hole hung over Antarctica, and it reached its maximum size in 2000. Since then, judging by the pictures taken by satellites, the hole has been gradually closing in. These statements are presented in the scientific journal Science. Environmentalists have calculated that its area has decreased by 4 million square meters. kilometers.

Studies show that gradually from year to year the amount of ozone in the stratosphere increases. This was facilitated by the signing of the Montreal Protocol in 1987. In accordance with this document, all countries are trying to reduce emissions into the atmosphere, reducing the amount of transport. China has been particularly successful in this regard. It regulates the emergence of new cars and there is the concept of a quota, that is, a certain number of car license plates can be registered per year. In addition, certain successes in improving the atmosphere have been achieved, because gradually people are switching to alternative energy sources, there is a search for effective resources that would help save.

Since 1987, the problem of ozone holes has been raised more than once. This problem is devoted to many conferences and meetings of scientists. Issues are also discussed at meetings of state representatives. So in 2015, a conference was held in Paris, the purpose of which was to work out actions against climate change. This will also help reduce emissions into the atmosphere, which means that the ozone holes will gradually tighten. For example, scientists predict that by the end of the 21st century, the ozone hole over Antarctica will completely disappear.

Where are the ozone holes (VIDEO)

Before the discoveries made in the last century, people simply did not know about the role that ozone plays. At the end of the century it became clear that due to a number of reasons the ozone layer is being destroyed, becomes thinner in some places or simply less saturated with ozone. This phenomenon has been called ozone holes.

Causes of Ozone Layer Depletion

Triatomic oxygen is called ozone. Its main part is located in the upper atmosphere at an altitude of 12 to 50 kilometers above sea level. The most significant concentration is concentrated at the 23-kilometer altitude. This gas was discovered in the atmosphere in 1873 by the German scientist Shenbein. Later, such a modification of oxygen was found below the named heights and even in the layers of the atmosphere near the earth's surface.

Ozone layer, tion.ru

It turned out that the largest role in the formation of ozone holes is played by space rocket launches, aircraft flights at altitudes of 12 to 16 kilometers, as well as freon emissions.

For the first time, an ozone hole with a diameter of more than 1000 km was first discovered in 1985 in the Southern Hemisphere over Antarctica by a group of scientists from Britain.

Technological progress and ozone holes

The greatest harm to the ozone layer is caused by compounds of chlorine and hydrogen. Such compounds are formed during the decomposition of freons. Usually they are used as sprayers. When a certain temperature threshold is reached, freons boil. At the same time, their volume increases several times. It is this process that is required in the manufacture of aerosols.

Ozone holes over Antarctica and Russia on the map, omartasatt.info

Freons are also used in the manufacture of devices that provide low temperatures. They are found in systems of large and small freezers, industrial and domestic refrigerators. When freons leak, having a weight less than that of atmospheric air, they begin to rise. In the atmosphere, chlorine detaches and reacts with triatomic oxygen, thereby destroying ozone molecules, turning it into ordinary oxygen.

The destruction of the ozone layer of the atmosphere was discovered quite a long time ago, but it was not until the 1980s that the process was truly assessed. It turned out that with a significant reduction in ozone in the atmosphere, the planet will stop cooling. The temperature will start to rise. Moreover, the rate of this growth will exceed even the option of developing a greenhouse effect due to an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Whether the greenhouse effect is the cause of the destruction of the ozone layer is still a moot point for scientists.

The consequences of the destruction of the ozone layer of the Earth

As already mentioned, ozone is triatomic oxygen. The gas has a special smell and a bluish color. Under certain conditions, the gas becomes a liquid, distinguished by a color called "indigo". IN special conditions Ozone can change from a liquid state to a solid state. In this case, its color will become dark blue.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that without the presence of the ozone layer, life on our planet would be impossible. At least in the form that exists.

Ultraviolet radiation is dangerous to all living things. If it becomes more intense, then massive serious diseases will begin under its influence. Vision suffers. This is the development of cataracts, and changes in the cornea, and exfoliation of the retina. Hard ultraviolet has a depressing effect on cellular immunity. First of all, it will affect the skin, expressed in oncological diseases. Living organisms, due to exposure to increased radiation, will cease to resist any infections to a much lesser extent.

Interesting fact: The effect of ozone holes on humans is the growth of diseases such as skin cancer and cataracts.

Ozone holes pose a threat to health, 5klass.net

Intense ultraviolet radiation has an overwhelming effect on photosynthesis. It causes changes in the behavior of animals. Their adaptation is broken. They start migrating. The reproduction of blue-green algae, which have a detrimental effect on the inhabitants of the aquatic environment, is accelerating. The biological resources of the world's oceans are drastically reduced. Radiation affects fish fry and eggs.

There is a decrease in soil fertility. Bacteria living in the soil, sensitive to ultraviolet radiation, die off. And just to them, to a large extent, the soil owes fertility. If the situation is not changed, then the end result will be the transformation of the Earth into a lifeless planet with.

The problem of ozone holes

The problem began to be discussed at the global level, it can lead to. Relevant documents and agreements were signed. The countries came to a unified decision on the need to reduce the production of freons. A replacement was found for them. It turned out to be a propane-butane mixture. Its indicators are such that it can successfully replace freons.

At present, the danger of ozone layer destruction continues to be among the most topical. However, in the world, technologies that use freons continue to be used. Therefore, scientists are busy solving the problem of reducing freon emissions, trying to find cheaper and more convenient substitutes for them.

Ways to solve the global problem of ozone holes

In 1985, the world began to take serious measures to protect the ozone layer. Ozone holes have become a new environmental problem. At first, restrictions on freon emissions were introduced. Then the governments approved the Vienna Convention. It aims to protect the ozone layer in the atmosphere. The convention says that:

• Delegations representing various states adopt an agreement providing for cooperation in the field of research on processes and substances that affect the ozone layer and have a provoking effect on changes in it.
• Countries commit themselves to systematic monitoring of the ozone layer.
• States are organizing work on the creation of technologies, as well as substances with unique properties that help minimize the harm caused to ozone in the atmosphere.
• Countries undertake to cooperate in the development of measures and their use, as well as to ensure constant monitoring of activities that can provoke the formation of ozone holes.
• The developed technologies and acquired knowledge of the country are transferred to each other.

During the time that has passed since the adoption of the Vienna Convention, countries have signed many protocols to reduce the release of fluorochlorocarbons. At the same time, cases are stipulated when their production should be completely stopped.

Restoration of the ozone layer

The causes and consequences of ozone depletion are well known. The biggest problem that entails danger is the technology used in the manufacture of refrigeration units. This period of time was sometimes even called the freon crisis. New developments required significant capital investment. This had a negative effect on production. However, a solution was found. It turned out that freons can be replaced by other substances. In addition to propane and butane gases, they turned out to be a hydrocarbon propellant. Today, installations that use endothermic chemical reactions are gaining ground.

Ozone hole map, omartasatt.info. On the map you can see the depletion of the ozone layer in the region of the equator, Russia (blue).

There is also talk of restoring the ozone layer. According to physicists, the atmosphere of the planet can be cleaned of freons using a power unit with a capacity of at least 10 rBT. It is estimated that the Sun is capable of producing up to 6 tons of ozone per second, but its destruction is faster. If, to use power units as ozone factories, then it is possible to achieve a balance. That is, ozone will be created as much as it will be destroyed.

Replenishment of the ozone layer

The ozone production project is not the only one. For example, according to scientists, ozone can be created artificially in the stratosphere. The same can be done in the atmosphere.

Feeding the stratosphere with artificially created ozone is proposed using cargo planes that can spray this gas at the right heights.

Ozone molecules can be obtained from ordinary oxygen using infrared lasers. Aerostats can be used for this.

If the use of a platform with lasers will provide positive effect in solving the problem of ozone holes, it is possible to place such devices on a space station. In this case, it is possible to ensure a constant supply of ozone.

The main drawback of all such developments is the price. The cost of any project is too high. It is because of this that a significant part of the projects is not implemented.

Conclusion

Billions of dollars have been spent to save the Earth's ozone layer, or at least preserve it in the form in which it is now. Scientists have calculated that if any human activity (), which is the cause of ozone holes, stops, it will take 100-200 years to restore it to its previous volume.

Nature is a state of balance. The anthropogenic factor disrupts the cycle of substances that affects the planet. One example is the ozone layer. Mankind constantly destroys it with space flights, while the substance is additionally subjected to decay in the lower layers of the atmosphere due to freons and emissions from light industry. This threatens with a list of problems:

• amplification of radiation rays;
• deterioration of air frequency parameters;
• change in soil characteristics;
• acid rain;
• toxic mists.

Together, these factors threaten to destroy the Earth's ecology.

The ozone layer is in the atmosphere between 15 and 40 km. Despite the variation in heights, the thickness of the shell is measured in a few millimeters. The thickest layer is over the poles. The lowest concentration is at the equator. The ozone layer blocks the lion's share of ultraviolet radiation. On average, the shell reduces the amount of ultraviolet radiation by 6.5 thousand times.

Ozone generation

Under the action of sunlight, the ozone molecule decomposes into an oxygen molecule and an atom, thus absorbing dangerous radiation. In the presence of a third oxygen atom, these particles recombine into an ozone molecule. The process is endless, but can be broken by a person.

Causes of Ozone Layer Depletion

The first talk about ozone depletion began in the 1960s. The reason was a decrease in ozone concentration by 40 percent over one of the British Arctic stations. At the same time, research began on the reasons due to which this destruction became possible at all.

Air transportation. Airplanes in the skies have long been the norm, but it so happened that it is they who violate the ozone layer during the flight. No, cars do not punch "ozone holes" with their cabins, but aircraft fuel (aviation gasolines and kerosenes) form CO 2 from ozone during combustion. Under the conditions of the Earth's surface, carbon dioxide is formed as a result of the combustion of fuel in an oxygen environment. At an altitude of several tens of kilometers, the air is more rarefied. Along with oxygen, ozone also participates in the combustion process.

Carbon leads to disruption of the chain of conversion of ultraviolet by ozone. Sunlight is replaced by a carbon atom. The resulting CO 2 sinks to the Earth's surface, and the concentration of the forming substance decreases in the ozone layer. In the 60s, when flights were not yet so accessible, this problem could still be solved by itself. But today an ordinary person flies several times a year, and for a big businessman or politician, the norm is to make several flights in a week. It is simply impossible to refuse such a convenient means of transportation.

Cosmetic industry. How often does each person use deodorant, hairspray or air freshener? These things are the key to human comfort.

At the same time, they contain all the same chlorofluorocarbons that destroy the ozone layer. Fortunately, this issue was one of the first to be closed. Back in the 1970s, at the Montreal conference, it was decided to find a replacement for chlorofluorocarbon (CFC). Propane-butylene was used, which did not differ in quality from CFCs.

Forest fires. The formed methyl chloride (CH 3 Cl) with ascending currents of heated air during large-scale fires is able to reach the upper part of the troposphere and enter into reactions with ozone.

Refrigeration units. At the heart of any refrigeration equipment is freon, which is used as a refrigerant.

Freon Any substance with a low boiling point. After all, what is cold? It's the absence of warmth. The refrigerant takes heat, boils, enters the compressor, where it is compressed until the boiling point rises so much that the gas again turns into a liquid. The gas becomes a liquid with the release of heat into the atmosphere, and the refrigerant returns to work. It is precisely in this moment that the basis for understanding the effect of freons on the atmosphere and the ozone layer lies. Freon works in a closed system, its leakage is negligible. Freon can enter the atmosphere in three cases:

1. improper disposal;
2. exploitation violation;
3. poor build quality.

Today, the use of "R 12" freon, which has a particularly destructive effect on the ozone layer, is prohibited. But you can go from the other side and introduce international quality control for the assembly and operation of refrigeration equipment, monitor proper disposal. After all, it's easier not to throw away than not to use.

How do CFCs affect the ozone layer?

They decompose in the upper atmosphere and the decomposition product is atomic chlorine, which leads to a violation of the chain of conversion of ultraviolet rays by ozone.

Ozone decomposes not into a molecule and an oxygen atom suitable for further reaction, but into chlorine oxide and oxygen. After that, in chlorine oxide, free oxygen atoms, of which a sufficient amount hovers around, replace chlorine. As a result, after the reaction, two oxygen molecules and a chlorine atom are formed, which continues to destroy ozone over and over again. One atom can destroy about 100,000 ozone molecules.

Chlorine ozone destruction cycle.

Cl + O 3 → ClO + O 2

O + ClO → Cl + O 2

The usual chemical reaction absorbs huge amounts of priceless matter in the stratosphere.

Consequences of destruction, ozone holes

The result of the destruction of the ozone layer are the so-called ozone holes. This is not literally a hole in the shell - just a place where the ozone concentration is greatly reduced. The worst thing is that such phenomena are wandering and the mechanism of their occurrence is not clear.

Over Australia, an ozone hole regularly occurs in the summer, which is accompanied by outbreaks of cancer. But cancer is not the whole list of negative effects:

• Due to the increase in the amount of sunlight on the leaves of plants and trees, burns will occur, the vegetation will no longer be able to compensate for the intake of CO 2 . This is significant.
• The upper layers of the soil will begin to dry out, which means that under the new conditions, agriculture, which is the main possibility of mankind for food, will become impossible.
• The radiation background of the planet will increase significantly, which means that the risk of getting sick with radiation sickness will increase many times over.

Together, all these factors are capable of destroying not only humanity, but the Earth as a whole.

acid rain

Acid rain causes about the same greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to the development of ozone holes.

CFCs decompose to leave carbon, which combines with water to form carbonic acid, although this has only a small part in the formation of acid rain. Nitrogen and sulfur emissions play the main role. They are formed as a result of fuel combustion. Sulfur is present as a pollutant in about 70 percent of the fuel, coal and oil burned on the planet. Nitrogen and sulfur, combining with oxygen in the atmosphere, first form oxides, and then, when combined with water, acids, which precipitate as rain.

How does this threaten humanity? Changing conditions of existence. Balance is also needed in the surrounding substances. All nature is imprisoned for existence in a neutral environment and the increase in the acidity of rainwater will lead to a change in the composition of the soil, which means a change in the entire biological community of the Earth. Specifically for humans, this means a change in the conditions of agriculture. All the centuries-old work on the development of crop rotation techniques will go to dust, and we will again return to the slash-and-burn method. And this is with a positive development of events, since acid rains burn leaves that are not used to them, and it is not known how many more liters of poisoned water this or that plant will endure.

Human immunity is also not happy with such a change in the composition of the rain. Only in Russia, due to such precipitation, the number of people with asthma has almost doubled. And this is a new growth of industry, only associated with medicines.

Toxic Mists

Another result of constant atmospheric pollution is toxic fogs or smog. First seen in London in the 20th century, smog contained large amounts of suspended particles of coal, soot and sulfur. For 5 days, the number of deaths from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases has increased significantly. It should be noted that the composition of pollution has become much more sophisticated.

Today smog can be seen in New York, London, Osaka or Beijing. This phenomenon arises as a result of a large number of factories concentrated in one place. What does it threaten? Violation of metabolic processes in the body. Unfortunately, cancer, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases are only part of the picture.

In China, as a result of industrialization in a relatively short time, smog has become quite common. Over Beijing, in general, every summer there is a fog of emissions, which is accompanied by a deterioration in water quality. All this has led to an increase in the popularity of the cesarean section procedure. Due to metabolic disorders in the body, women in the central part of the country are forced to carry a child up to 12 months in anticipation of a natural birth.

The Chinese government is fighting for the cleanliness of the city, many factories have left the capital, but it is not clear when this will affect the environmental situation.