Ozone Layer Depletion

Paper Outline

The paper comprises of the following sections:

Introduction

Discussion

Ozone depletion and its Effects

Conclusion

Introduction

Ozone, as the word suggests, is the gas that naturally occurs in the atmosphere and most part of it is concentrated in the ozone layer. Despite the fact the ozone is present in comparatively less fraction in the atmosphere yet, it plays an important role by shielding humans and other living beings from the harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays emerging from the sun. (Daynes, 23-31) It is a greenhouse gas in the upper atmosphere and thus, controls the earth's climate while the increase in primary greenhouse gases as carbon dioxide, have an effect as to how ozone layer recovers in the coming years. (Charlson, 655-61)

Discussion

Ozone contains three types of oxygen atoms and is regarded as a relatively unstable form of molecular oxygen. The ozone layer provides shield to the planet by preventing the ultraviolet radiation to harm the organisms within the earth (Gupta, 201-206). The radiation is emitted from the sun and is meant to harm the environment, living organisms and plants while following damage to animal and plant cells, skin cancer and eye cataracts in humans. It also reduces the life of crops, their yields, adversely affecting marine lives, cause damage to materials while depleting micro organisms (Diffey, 299-328).

In the ozone layer, ozone molecules are constantly being violated, to form normal oxygen (O2), as well as reformed by the reaction between oxygen molecules. Reactions in this cycle involve free radicals and, therefore, require ultraviolet (UV) light, and that's how the light is absorbed. The process is called a cycle of ozone-oxygen, and under normal conditions, it absorbs 97-99% of the sun, UV light AO (Gupta, 201-206).

Ozone depletion and its Effects

Human Health

The depletion of Ozone layer carries severe implication to human health and leads to increased risks and cases of skin cancer and eye cataracts, particularly in children that are highly vulnerable. There are also serious costs for biodiversity (Daynes, 23-31).Plankton reduces as the result of increased UV-B rays in the ocean, and then the decline of fish stock which leaves adverse effects on plant growth while reducing agricultural productivity. Also, the negative impacts in terms of economy are reduced life cycle of materials such as plastic etc (Diffey, 299-328).

Studies (Charlson Lovelock et al, 655-661) confirm that the vast majority of cells of skin cancers contain mutations that were caused by ultraviolet light. There are two types of ultraviolet light, which is believed to cause skin damage.VA is the radiation wavelength, and a large part of UV radiation arriving at earth's surface. It can penetrate the skin more deeply than UVB, and implicated in premature aging. Until recently it was not believed to cause cell damage, but now known to damage cells in the basal layer of skin (Gupta, 201-206).

UVB radiation has a shorter wavelength and, although it is much smaller proportion of light reaching the Earth's surface AO is much more damaging to cells. It affects only the outer layers of the skin because it cannot penetrate ...