08-01-2013, 04:25 PM
Ozone Depletion
Ozone Depletio.ppt (Size: 442.5 KB / Downloads: 231)
Ozone Depletion Results
Each 1% loss of ozone leads to a 2% increase in UV radiation striking the earth.
A 2% increase in UV radiation results in a 5% to 7% increase in skin cancer, including a 1% increase in deadly malignant melanoma
A 5% Ozone Depletion would cause:
An additional 940,000 cases annually of basal-cell and squamous-cell skin cancer (disfiguring, but not usually deadly)
An increase in smog. The EPA estimates a 1% decrease in stratospheric ozone causes a 2% increase in ozone near the ground
Reduction in ocean phytoplankton growth
Loss of $2 billion per year from materials degradation
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s)
Commonly called Freons (a Du Pont Chemical
Also used as propellant in aerosol cans, industrial cleaner, hospital sterilant, fumigant, and to create bubbles in polystyrene plastic foam used for insulation and packaging.
The Ozone Hole
The vortex breaks up in a couple of months and large masses of ozone depleted air flow northward over parts of Australia, New Zealand and southern South America. During this time UV levels increase by as much as 20% there.