How does the action of man affect the ozone layer of the atmosphere?
During the last few decades it has been noticed that man’s actions have begun to disturb the ozone balance. The ozone concentration in the upper atmosphere has been declining since the 1970’s. The cause of the chemical ozone depletion is the presence of chlorine and bromine originating in man-made freons and halogen compounds. The main reason for the ozone depletion is the stratosphere becoming polluted by compounds containing chlorine (freons) or bromine (halogens). In addition, ozone is dissipated by nitrous oxide. Due to the fact that the compounds destroying ozone are chemically stable while in the lower atmosphere, they do not break up until they have been carried with the airstreams into the upper atmosphere. Dissipation is caused by powerful UV radiation, as a consequence of which highly reactive chlorine and bromine atoms and their compounds are born. During its lifetime, a single atom or compound of this kind breaks down numerous ozone molecules into ordinary two-atom oxygen m
