Biological termModerate1 mark
1(a)
Name the following:
One gaseous compound which depletes the ozone layer.
Topic: CFCs
Previous-year question practice database
Answer
Exam answer
CHLOROFLUOROCARBONS (CFCs).
Explanation
CFCs were used as refrigerants, in air conditioners and as aerosol propellants.
HOW THEY DESTROY OZONE: they rise to the stratosphere, where ultraviolet light breaks them down and releases CHLORINE atoms. Each chlorine atom destroys thousands of ozone molecules, which is what produced the OZONE HOLE over Antarctica.
WHY IT MATTERS: a thinner ozone layer lets more ultraviolet radiation reach the earth, causing skin cancer, cataract and damage to crops.
CFCs were phased out under the MONTREAL PROTOCOL of 1987, and the ozone layer is now slowly recovering — one of the few clear environmental successes.
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