US Green Living .com
The ozone layer is a layer in the Earth’s atmosphere that is responsible for filtering out and blocking harmful rays from the sun. The ozone layer is very important because of its effects on life on Earth. Recently, air pollution has caused a hole in the ozone layer to form, although steps have been taken to repair the damage. The cause for the depletion of ozone was directly influenced by the use of aerosols.
The ozone layer filters out and blocks many dangerous rays from the sun. Over 95 percent of harmful ultraviolet rays never reach ground level due to this process. Ultraviolet rays present a health risk for animal and plant life and high exposure of it can cause skin cancer and even alter the DNA make up of plant species.
Ozone, the main component of the ozone layer, is quite necessary for life at a certain altitude, but can be detrimental to health if present at ground level. Ground-level ozone is created by a number of factors. Exhaust from motor vehicles, gas emissions from industrial areas like factories and power plants, as well and the use of chemical solvents are the most responsible. Because of this, ground-level ozone is most prevalent in urban areas, but weather factors like wind can carry ozone over long distances and effect less densely populated regions. Ground-level ozone is formed when fossil fuel emissions like carbon monoxide, nitrogen, and a number of volatile organic compounds interact with other elements in the atmosphere and the presence of sunlight.
Most of these effects of ozone at ground-level are related to the respiratory system. Chemicals present in ozone irritate the lungs making it difficult to breathe and causing coughing. This makes it increasingly difficult to participate in outdoor activities such as sports and causes many complications for those who suffer from asthma. Long term exposure to ground-level ozone can lead to respiratory infections and damage to the lining of the lungs. The damage can become permanent in some cases and cause scarring. The risks of ozone are most felt during warm temperature due to sunlight’s role in its formation.
Because of the importance of the ozone layer in blocking out ultraviolet rays, there was cause for major concern when a hole began to form in it during the early 1980s. Ozone-depleting substances such as aerosol were proven to be the cause of this phenomenon. A whole in the ozone layer presents a number of problems. Ultraviolet rays that would normally be blocked out by the ozone layer are allowed to reach Earth where they pose a health risk for plants, animals, and human. Agricultural crops, especially rice due to its susceptibility to ultraviolet light, are put at great risk. Many marine based plants are also negatively affected. High exposure to ultraviolet rays is known to be a cause of many types of skin cancer for humans. Fortunately, the whole in the ozone layer has made an incredible recovery after several international measures. The Montreal Treaty was created in 1989 to help combat global ozone layer problems.
