Ozone, O₃Ozone (O₃) protects Earth from harmful UV rays but can be harmful at ground level. Learn about its role and how we can protect it. is one of the most vital gases in the protection of life on Earth. What is ozone, and why does it matter? From this blog post, you will get an idea of what ozone is, where it is found, how ozone helps us and dangers faced by ozone. What is Ozone?
Ozone is a compound of three atoms of oxygen in a gaseous state. You must have always heard of normal oxygen, which you breathe every day. The normal oxygen that contains two atoms is represented by the symbol O₂. Ozone, on the other hand, has an extra oxygen atom, so it becomes a compound of O₃. That seems such a little difference, but what an exaggeration!
It is found almost entirely in two layers. One way, way up there in the sky-even, people say, in outer space: high in the stratosphere. The other, down low near the ground: in the troposphere. We adore the ozone way up there in the stratosphere. We detest the ozone down low near the ground in the troposphere.
Good Ozone
Most of the ozone exists in the stratosphere, that layer of air from 10 to 30 miles above Earth. It is there that ozone forms its protective layer referred to as the “ozone layer.” The main function of the ozone layer is to protect Earth from the sun’s UV rays hazardous to life.
Ozone blocks harmful UV rays and ozone-depleting substances from reaching Earth. It acts as a shield against these dangers. Too many UV rays can cause serious problems. These include skin cancer, eye damage, and harm to plants and animals. So, ozone is very important.
Without the ozone layer, life would be different in ways we hardly can imagine. It would be much stiffer to sustain life due to strong UV radiations.
How Does the Ozone Layer Work?
The ozone layer absorbs most of the UV radiation from the sun. This is by hitting ozone molecules (O₃). As the ozone molecule is disturbed, one oxygen atom (O) and one oxygen molecule (O₂) are left. Eventually, those fragments then combine to reform ozone (O₃) again. This break-up and combination continues, and it keeps most of that damage-radiation from passing through the surface of the Earth.
Bad Ozone
Not all ozone is beneficial. Tropospheric ozone is formed through pollution, which is near the ground. Normally, cars and factories, amongst other machines, burn fuels and exhale gases that mix up with sun light to create the ozone on the surface. This is what we commonly refer to as “bad ozone” because it poses a threat to human beings, animals, and plants.
Ozone, if breathed at ground level, irritates the lungs. It makes breathing difficult, especially for those with lung diseases like asthma.. Ozone can also kill crops and plants by changing how they grow.
While inside a city, especially during hot, sunny days, the ozone levels become very high. Therefore, it is exactly what we call “smog.” Smog is this type of air pollution that forces it to become impossible to see and breathe.
Ozone Hole
The biggest issue with the ozone layer is the “ozone hole.” Researchers in the 1980s began to find that one part of the ozone layer over Antarctica had a hole. That is, it is an ozone hole.
What is the ozone hole? It’s not actually a hole. It’s just part of the ozone layer that has become extremely weak. It’s caused by chemicals like “CFCs” and other products that humans emit into the atmosphere.
Long time ago, CFCs were used in most appliances especially refrigerators and air conditioners as well as spray cans. These chemicals penetrate the layer of the ozone, break the molecules of the ozone, and reduce the layer to be less protective to naked eyes.
Why is the Ozone Hole Dangerous?
A thiner layer of the ozone allows more UV radiation from the sun to reach Earth. Its high exposure, in turn raises cases of skin cancer, cataracts, which is a form of eye disease among other conditions in humans. It also contributes to harming animals, especially those which spend a larger part of their life in water, such as plankton and fish. These are creatures at the bottom of the food chain, thus their decline may affect other animals higher up, including even humans.
The ozone holes are, therefore more significant in Antarctica but are also carried over to other parts of the world, like Australia and South America, where higher percentages of UV rays penetrate onto the surface.
How Are We Fixing the Ozone Hole?
The good news is that people have made efforts to patch the ozone hole. In 1987, the nations of the world agreed not to use CFCs anymore through something known as the Montreal Protocol. This treaty has led to reducing levels of CFCs within the atmosphere. The recovery of the ozone layer starts slowly.
Scientists claim that the ozone layer can fully heal by the middle of this century if it remains compliant with the Montreal Protocol rules. That would be a wonderful proof that mankind can indeed come together in solving big environmental problems.
How to Save the Ozone Layer?
Although the ozone layer is recovering, its protection still rests with us. Here are a few things we can do: Avoid all kinds of products with chemicals that contain harmful contents. Such products include many kinds of spray cans, refrigerators, and air conditioners which contain CFCs. These days safer alternatives are available. Always check labels to make sure that the products you use will be safe for the ozone layer.
Cleaner energy: Ozone near the ground is primarily emitted through vehicles, industries, and power plants. This results in cleaner energy in terms of reducing the emission in the use of resources such as solar or wind power.
Use carpooling or public transport: These will decrease the number of cars plying a particular road and, consequently, the amount of bad ozone pollution. Pooling, walking, biking, or taking the bus can help.
Interesting Facts About Ozone
Here are some fun and interesting facts about ozone:
Ozone smells like chlorine: You probably recognize the smell if you have ever been to a swimming pool. Ozone has that kind of smell, especially after a thunderstorm.
Lightning makes ozone: When lightning strikes, oxygen molecules in the air get divided so that they can combine and produce ozone (O₃). That’s why the air sometimes smells fresh after a storm!
The word itself, “ozone,” comes from the Greek word “ozein, meaning “to smell.”
Ozone is strangely colored blue. Though ozone is a light blue colored gas, we do not ever actually see it because it is dispersed so thinly through the air.
Ozone therapy is one term that refers to tiny amounts of ozone applied for certain medical treatments meant to cure different health problems. However, ozone can also be hazardous if the correct dose is applied; hence, it has to be applied professionally.
Ozone and Climate Change
Ozone and climate change are another very significant thing to know about. Most of these nasty chemicals destroying the ozone layer, such as CFCs, trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, leading to climate changes. That is another reason to reduce their use-not only to save the ozone layer but also to slow down global warming.
On the other hand, the bad ozone near the ground is a greenhouse gas. It can hold heat and warm the Earth. Therefore, purification of the air will help reduce climate change.
Ozone Around the World
Where the protection of the ozone refers to one part of this world, it is actually protecting the entire earth. That is why all countries must now come together and protect this sphere. Though some countries have done an excellent job, there’s still quite a lot that needs to be done.
This also includes examples such as in India and China, which are the two most polluted regions, where the bad ozone levels can be quite high, especially in cities. The governments are doing everything in their power to find out how they can decrease the level of pollution and safeguard human health along with the ozone layer.
Conclusion
Ozone is another gas like all the others, but it is surely one of the most important elements in the atmosphere. It protects earth from harmful ultraviolet rays coming from our sun, but when ozone enters the wrong place, it causes problems. The first step in this whole process of helping to protect the earth is knowing what good and bad ozone are.
It is upon our shoulders to see that the ozone layer remains clean and pollution levels decrease. And this can be done in our daily lives by little changes like a switch over to safer products and reducing the amount of pollution in such a manner that it would ensure that the Earth could flourish for years to come.
Let us do our share in saving the ozone. Indeed, a healthy ozone layer means a healthy planet for all of us! This is specially dangerous to the UV-B type that threatens life and the environment.
