Ozone depletion - 'The connection with the mass extinction'

What is ozone layer?

Ozone is a colorless gas which is found in the stratosphere of upper atmosphere of the earth. The layer of ozone gas protects humans and other organisms from harmful ultraviolet radiation of the sun. The ozone layer absorbs these harmful radiations and thus prevents these rays from entering the earth’s atmosphere.

Ultraviolet radiations- are high energy electro magnetic waves emitted by the sun which if enters the earth’s atmosphere can lead to various environmental issues including global warming. 

What is ozone depletion?

The main reason that lead to destruction of the ozone gas in the ozone layer is the production and emission of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which leads to almost 80 percent of the total ozone layer depletion, other major cause for depletion such as hydro chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Such substances are emitted from vehicles and home appliance like refrigerator, and air conditioner etc.

These substances stay in the lower atmosphere around human and another living organism. But as they reach to the stratosphere atmosphere, they get exposed to the ultra violet rays. This leads to their breakdown and releasing of free chlorine atoms which reacts with ozone gas, thus leading to the depletion of the ozone layer.

What are the harmful impacts of ozone depletion?

There is various harmful effect of ozone depletion. Because of ozone depletion, Ultra violet rays enter in the earth’s atmosphere, which cause the health related issues like several type of skin cancer, eye damage as UV rays are harmful for eyes too, slow done or damage immune system which leads to other diseases and it also effect other living and aquatic organisms.

An event occurred around 250 million years called – the great dying

Destruction of the ozone layer has contributed to the largest mass extinction in the history of earth, known as the End-Permian Extinction.

Recent a study published in the Journal- Nature Geoscience has found it. The event named great dying occurred around 250 million years ago when a massive volcanic eruption in what is today the Russia province Siberia killed nearly 90% of all life right into extinction. The scale of extinction was extremely destructive. 

The scientists found that before the Siberian flood basalts took place, the Siberian lithosphere was heavily loaded with chlorine, bromine, and iodine, all chemical elements from halogen group. The earth atmosphere during the volcanic explosion, effectively destroying the ozone layer at the time and contributed to the mass extinction.

What can be the ways to bring down ozone depletion?

Ozone layer depletion is not something that affects any specific country or region. The whole world is vulnerable state and highly affected by it. Every country must take major steps to protect ozone layer. International agreements such as Montreal protocol in 1987 was implemented successfully. There is a need to make such agreements more and every country should take equal responsibility to reduce emission which affect ozone layer. Government can also promote buying and using recycled products, saving energy. Great efforts are needing to be done to keep planet earth  habitable for present and future civilizations.