Synthetic Chlorine Compounds and the Stratospheric Ozone Layer

SYNTHETIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS AND THE STRATOSPHERIC OZONE LAYER 

We have seen that bond homolysis can be caused by heat and light. Such chemical events can occur on a grand scale in nature and may have serious environmental consequences. This section explores an example of radical chemistry that has had a significant effect on our lives and will continue to do so for at least the next 50 years. 

The ozone layer shields the Earth from high-energy ultraviolet light 

Formation of Ozone in the Stratosphere and Its Absorption of Dangerous UV Light 

A color-enhanced view of the upper atmosphere above Antarctica shows that region in which the concentration of ozone has dropped below 35% of normal iolet and gray areas). The ozone hole has shown considerable variation in size and shape, reaching its greatest extent—12 miiiion square miles (30 million square km)—in both 2003 and 2006. In 2011 the hole peaked at 10 million square miles (25 million square km), stiii twice the size of Antarctica and large enough to pose a hazard to people in South America. 

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Synthetic Chlorine Compounds and the Stratospheric Ozone Layer... 

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