Surely when you hear about the hole in the ozone layer that the gases responsible for it count. The main chemical substance that has caused the decrease in the concentration of atmospheric ozone are the chlorofluorocarbonsThese are gaseous chemicals that have been used since their inception in 1928. They are also known by the acronym CFC. They were thoroughly researched, and it was shown that their properties endangered not only public health but also the ozone layer. Therefore, their use was banned.
In this article we are going to tell you what chlorofluorocarbons are, what their characteristics are and why they destroy the ozone layer.
What are chlorofluorocarbons
These are chemicals that are made up of carbon, fluorine, and chlorine atoms. Hence its name. These atoms belong to the group of halocarbons that are the group of gases are not toxic or flammable. They were originated for the first time in 1928 as an alternative to various chemical substances that were used in refrigerators. They were later used as propellants in insecticides, paints, hair conditioners, and other health care products.
Between the 50s and 60s they were used in air conditioners for homes, cars and offices. All of these uses caused chlorofluorocarbons to expand globally. At that time the use of these chemicals increased by about a million metric tons that were produced annually from just in the United States. Later it increased its use even more. It reached such an extent that it was used as aerosol, refrigerants, foam blowing agents, packaging materials and solvents.
Most common chlorofluorocarbon products
These chemicals don't come from a natural source. They are chemicals created by humans for numerous uses. They were used as refrigerants, propellants, and industrial solvents for foam manufacturing. They were also used as cleaning agents in electronics manufacturing. Their use was so widespread that their impact on the ozone layer increased dramatically in a short period of time. It was discovered that these gases destroy stratospheric ozone to such an extent that harmful solar ultraviolet radiation could reach the surface.
Among the most popular chlorofluorocarbon products we have the following:
- Refrigerants in air conditioners.
- Refrigerators.
- Propellants in aerosols.
- Inhalers to control asthma. Later this was banned to reduce the impact on the stratosphere.
- Haloalkanes in aircraft.
- Degreasing solvents.
Negative effects of chlorofluorocarbons in the atmosphere
As mentioned before, these chemicals were known to damage the ozone layer. This means that much of the ultraviolet radiation from the sun can pass through the stratosphere and reach the earth's surface. It was seen to have numerous negative effects on our own health. And it is that, when dealing with various compounds that are chemically inert, it was thought that they would be harmless in the atmosphere. However, with the passage of time it was found that reacted with ultraviolet radiation in the atmosphere, specifically in the stratosphere.
This layer of the atmosphere contains a high concentration of ozone, which helps us reduce the ultraviolet radiation that reaches us from the sun. This high concentration of ozone is known as the ozone layer. When chlorofluorocarbons interact with radiation, they undergo photolytic decomposition, converting them into sources of inorganic chlorine. When chlorine is released in the form of atoms, it is able to catalyze the conversion of ozone molecules into oxygen. This means it accelerates the naturally occurring chemical reaction that converts ozone into oxygen.
We remember that an ozone molecule is composed of three oxygen atoms. Atmospheric oxygen is composed of two oxygen atoms. Thus, chlorine acts as a catalyst to increase the rate and quantity of chemical reactions that convert ozone into oxygen. Thus, up to 100.000 ozone molecules can be destroyed for each chlorine atom that is released. All of these reasons are why chlorofluorocarbons are linked to the destruction of the ozone layer, which is vital to protecting us from harmful radiation as described in the ozone layer and its recovery.
It is not that these chemicals directly destroy the ozone found in the stratosphere, but rather that various chemical reactions are required for them to occur. However, the rate at which chlorofluorocarbons will be emitted into the atmosphere caused a large amount of stratospheric ozone to be disappearing. The disappearance of the ozone layer has very damaging consequences and further increases chemical pollution. And it is that ozone is in charge of absorb much of the sun's ultraviolet radiation that is between wavelengths of 280 and 320 nm and that it is harmful to both animal and plant organisms and the human being, of course.
Ozone hole
The widespread use of these chemicals has resulted in the creation of holes in the ozone layer. It's not that there is a hole in the ozone layer itself, where there is no ozone concentration at all. They are simply areas where the ozone concentration is far below normal. This concentration is low enough to prevent ultraviolet radiation from remaining in the stratosphere and penetrating the Earth's surface.
Although chlorofluorocarbons are prohibited, because they have great chemical inertness and are insoluble, even today, a large part of the chemicals emitted during previous years are still found. This is because they have a long life expectancy in the atmosphere. Since 1987 the Montreal protocol recognized these chemical compounds as harmful and other international agreements were joined that led to the banning of these chemicals, since they also act as greenhouse gases as explained in the greenhouse effect and its consequences.
As you can see, chlorofluorocarbons have great negative effects both in the atmosphere, as well as in animals, plants and in humans. I hope that with this information you can learn more about chlorofluorocarbons.
