comprised of a molecule called ozone, an electrically charged form of oxygen that is produced when sunlight reacts with chemicals in the air. The ozone molecules have the ability to filter the radiation, allowing only a small fraction of it to pass through (Gribbon 56). The layer is found in the Earths stratosphere, with its peak concentration about twenty-five kilometres above the Earths surface. CFCsChlorofluorocarbons, better known as CFCs, were introduced early in the early twentieth century and are the main culprit of the decline in the ozone layer. They were developed by General Motors and were given the original trademark of Freons in 1928. CFCs were first used as coolant fluid in refrigeration units, replacing previous solutions such as ammonia and sulphur dioxide (Ehrlich 115). They were called miracle gases because they could be used safely. Unlike precious solutions that were used, they were non-toxic and non-corroding (Dolan 27). By the late 1980s, CFCs reached their peak manufacture. They were used as coolants in refrigeration units, air conditioners, as well as solvents in degreasers and cleaners. They were used so widely because of their stability and safety, but the stability of the molecule is also why it is so dangerous to the atmosphere. The stability disables it to be destroyed easily. This allows the gas to be released at ground level and gloat up to the stratosphere intact, often taking five years to do so (Dolan 27). Once these chemicals enter the ozone layer, they are hit by the Suns radiation, with enough energy to dissociate the molecule (Fisher 25). The molecules are broken down into individual components of fluorine, carbon and in particular, chlorine. The chlorine and ozone are both very reactive and take part in a reaction. The chlorine catalyses the reaction of ozone into atomic oxygen. By the end of the reaction, the ozone has transformed into oxygen while the chlorine remains unaffected...
