CFCS and the ozone layer

Ozone is an important constituent of the atmosphere. Ozone forms a distinct layer in the lower stratosphere known as the ozone layer. The ozone layer acts as a fragile shield because it protects man and other life forms from exposure to harmful short-wavelength ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The agents, particularly chemical, which affect the amount of ozone present in the atmosphere have been a source of concern for more than 20 years. This has been reinforced by the dramatic decline of stratospheric ozone levels first measured in Antarctica and now apparent worldwide. The combination of routine measurements of ozone depletion, careful laboratory studies and mathematical modelling of ozone in the atmosphere, has demonstrated that the reactive fragments produced when chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons and other halogenated compounds break down in the stratosphere are responsible for the ozone loss. As CFCs have widespread and sometimes apparently essential uses in modern society, there has been an intense effort to develop safe, effective replacements which have a negligible or much smaller impact on the environment. The Montreal Protocol, signed by over 140 nations, has been implemented to control and phase out the chemical compounds responsible for ozone loss.