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Created with Fabric.js 1.4.5 What Are Causes for Ozone Layer Depletion? CFCs are one of the main cause of ozone layer depletion.The full name of these is chlorofluorocarbons. Theseare heavier than air. HCFCs are another cause of ozone layer depletion.The full name for these is hydroflurocarbons. Ozone layer depletion is caused by ozonedepleting substances, or ODS for short. Ozoneis made of 3 oxygen atoms, which are brokenapart easily by chlorine and bromine, both ofwhich are found in CFCs and HCFCs. Ozone ishighly reactive, and 90% of it is found in theozone layer. We need ozone gasses because it prevents ultraviolet Bgasses from entering our atmosphere. Ultraviolet B raysare bad because they cause skin cancer and cataracts inhumans and other animals. Because both of these compounds are heavier than air, they take a longtime to get to the stratosphere where the ozone layer is. When CFCs reachthe stratosphere, they break down quickly due to the cold air, and releasechlorine. When HCFCs break apart, they release bromine. Chlorine, the substance that comes fromCFCs when they break down, are releasedinto the stratosphere, they destroy ozonegasses. One atom of chlorine can separate100,000 oxygen atoms. Bromine, the other substance which comes from HCFCs,can separate up to 60 times more oxygen atoms thanchlorine. Many common items we use todaycontain bromine and chlorine,and are responsible for ozone layer depletion.These include things such as refrigerants, aerosols,insulating foams, and other items. Thankfully, most CFCs and HCFCshave been banned from use, howeverthere are still CFCs and HCFCs beingrealeased into the atmosphere bynormal appliances. Patrick Murphy 4A
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