Ozone layer depletion is a term used to describe two different but closely related

phenomena. The more widely-spread phenomenon is a steady decrease of about 4% in

the total volume of Earths ozone, which has been observed since the 1970s. The other
phenomenon is concentrated around the skies of Antarctica and involves a much
larger decrease in thickness of ozone, more commonly known as the ozone hole. It is
commonly known that the cause of these phenomena are refrigerant chemicals such as
chlorofluorocarbon, one of the most, if not the most, commonchemicals used by home
cooling systems. For one to understand what ozone layer depletion is and how it happens,
it is a prerequisite to understand three different concepts: ozone itself as a chemical
compound, the ozone layer, and the release of halogen atoms from refrigerants.
Ozone itself is an inorganic and highly reactive molecule formed by three oxygen
atoms. With a distinct and strong scent, it mainly resides in the lower region of
stratosphere,approximately 20 to 30 kilometers above the Earths surface.These ozone
molecules is formed by ultraviolet radiation, when an oxygen molecule undergoes
photolysis (a decomposition of chemicals by photons, in this case light) as a result
of higher-frequency ultraviolet light (more commonly known as UV-B and UV-C) hitting
them and splits into two oxygen atoms. These two atoms combine with two other oxygen
molecules, forming two molecules, each consisting of three oxygen atoms, known as
ozone. This reaction occurs wherever UV-B and UV-C strikes the Earths atmosphere,
meaning that it occurs everywhere around the Earth, and forms the ozone layer.
These newly formed ozone molecules are able to use ultraviolet radiation to split into an
oxygen molecule and an oxygen atom, essentially using up the radiation and preventing it
from reaching the Earth. The free oxygen atom is then able to combine with yet another
oxygen molecule to form another ozone molecule, however this time it also produces
excess kinetic energy, which is converted into heat. When an ozone molecule meets an
oxygen atom, they react and form two oxygen molecules, and two free oxygen atoms are
able to react and form an oxygen molecule. The processes that involve the formation and
separation of oxygen atoms, oxygen molecules, and ozone molecules are collectively
known as the ozone-oxygen cycle, and its main function is to convert ultraviolet radiation
into heat, thus warming the planet and reducing the amount of ultraviolet radiation that
reaches the Earth.
Meanwhile, molecules of refrigerants such as chlorofluorocarbon (CFC),
hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) andhydrobromofluorocarbon (HBFC) that have ascended to the
same altitude at which the ozone layer resides receive the same ultraviolet radiation that
keeps the ozone-oxygen cycle going. The ultraviolet rays decompose the molecules, and
what was once a benevolent bunch of coolant molecules becomes a malevolent, highly
reactive mass of halogen atoms, such as chlorine and bromine. These halogens are able to
attract oxygen atoms and pull them out from ozone molecules, and act as catalysts in the
decomposition process of ozone molecules.
The cycle finally goes haywire when the aforementionedcatalysts enter the stage. As
chemical elements that speed up reactions, catalysts alter the rate of ozone formation and
ozone separation and throw their balance completely out of whack.As soon as the
halogens make contact with ozone molecules, the halogen atoms bring with them one of
the oxygen atoms from the ozone molecule and leaves the remaining two oxygen atoms
as a diatomic oxygen molecule. Once the halogen oxidehits a free oxygen atom, the free
oxygen atom and the oxygen atom attracted by the halogen react and form an oxygen

molecule, leaving behind the halogen atom to repeat the process all over again. Acting as
a catalyst in ozone decomposition, halogens drastically increase the speed of the reaction
and the rate of ozone decomposition rockets upwards, completely overwhelming the rate
of ozone formation. Making this worse is the fact that each halogen atom can repeat the
process about 100 000 times. The overall effect of this change in reaction speed due to
halogen catalysts is a steady decrease in ozone volume, consequently thinning the ozone
layer.