How could CFCs and HCFCs Affect the Ozone Layer?
Ozone is constantly being made in our atmosphere, mostly by collisions of oxygen molecules (O2) and oxygen atoms (O). Ozone is also constantly being destroyed by similar collisions between O3 molecules and O atoms, resulting in pairs of O2 molecules. In theory then, there is a balance between creation and destruction that results in a constant layer of ozone. The full names for CFCs and HCFCs are Chlorofluorocarbons and Hydrochlorofluorocarbons. CFC molecules are made of chlorine, fluorine, and carbon, and HCFC molecules also have hydrogen atoms attached. The widely accepted theory of ozone depletion is that these molecules, once emitted to the atmosphere, eventually are broken down over long periods of time into their individual atoms. The chlorine atoms then react with the ozone and cause ozone destruction to happen faster than ozone creation.
