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The Implications of Ozone Depletion on Human Health
Introduction
Hairspray. Refrigerators. Air conditioners. These everyday luxuries, while making human life more comfortable, are taxing our health seriously. Clorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, are anthropogenic chemicals used in refrigerants and as propellants in aerosols. CFCs, also known as freons, are also the primary culprit behind the depletion of stratospheric ozone, which allows harmful ultraviolet rays to reach the Earth and its inhabitants.
When CFC molecules reach the stratosphere, the sun's radiation breaks it apart, freeing the chorine atom to destroy ozone molecules. The effect is a growing ozone hole which forms over Antarctica in October and usually lasts through mid November. During the annual ozone hole, the amount of UV radiation that reaches the Earth can double. Ozone depletion serves as a major health risk for human beings. The three primary health effects of ultraviolet radiation on human health are damage to the skin,eyes, and immune system.
SKIN DAMAGE
UV radiation causes significant damage to human skin, in the form of sunburns, aging, skin cancer, and nonmelanoma tumors. Human skin damage is primarily a result of tanning. The
amount of UV exposure absorbed by a person is a direct result of the intensity of the light absorbed, the length of time of the exposure, and whether or not the skin was protected by clothing or sunscreen. Skin damage can be prevented by limiting when and how long one is exposed to sunlight, and by wearing protective clothing and sunscreen. Avoid exposure to sunlight during mid-day hours, when it is most intense. Tight weave clothing, and hats, protect against the sun's rays. Tanning beds, while popular, are also ...
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Conclusions
Stratospheric ozone absorbs 97-99% of ultraviolet radiation. As this protective layer continues to dissentigrate, human health will suffer. One American dies every hour from skin cancer, a direct result of ozone depletion by anthropogenic chemicals, primarily CFCs, which damage the ozone layer. Alternate chemicals are now being used in the place of CFCs that will not damage statospheric ozone, and there is international recognition of the importance of developing these chemicals. The Montreal Protocol is an international treaty which limits the production of ozone depleting substances. Still, human health is at risk from the deletion of ozone, and the risk factor will continue to rise unless people and industries become more aware of the implications connected with everyday use of chemicals which destroy stratospheric ozone.
The light released by the sun consists of three frequency bands of radiation: infrared, visible and ultraviolet. Out of the three frequency bands, the ultraviolet light is damaging to most humans. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation divided into three categories: UVA, UVB, and UVC. UVA radiation passes through the skin without burning the surface layers. These rays can penetrate to a depth of 0.04 inches and causes damage to cell membranes and the immune system. UVA radiation has been linked to skin cancer, early aging and wrinkling of the skin. UVB radiation is responsible for the painful red burn people get after a long period of exposure to the sun. UVB rays also cause skin cancer and damage to the cornea and lens of the eye. The third category, UVC radiation, is generally absorbed by the Earth’s atmosphere and is not considered harmful.
Tanning can be harsh to your skin. The light coming from the sun contains different wavelengths of ultra violet (UV) waves. The two types of waves concerned about are UVA rays and UVB rays. UVA rays are long waves that cause more damage than a UVB ray. UVA rays penetrate deeper into your skin and cause tanning (“The Dangers of”). More and more exposure to UVA rays can cause permanent damage ...
UVB radiation is what burns the skin, and makes us have sunburn and UVA radiation is what tans the skin.
As the twenty-first century progresses, it has become increasingly apparent just how many challenges the world faces. Prominent among these concerns are environmental issues, in particular, ozone depletion and climate change. While the international community has been exceptionally successful in its struggle to reduce the production and consumption of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), the organic compounds that contribute to the ozone issue, its efforts to tackle climate change have yielded considerably fewer advancements. A number of factors that helped the proceedings of the ozone regime, or campaign, are not applicable to the climate change regime. The issue of limiting CFCs was much less politically and economically charged than that of reducing greenhouse gases (GHGs), which cause the greenhouse effect and the consequent warming of the planet. Climate change has been referred to as the ultimate “tragedy of the commons”, an important metaphor in economics that helps explain why this subject is still at the centre of much heated debate and has yet to be resolved in a manner similar to that of the ozone problem.
As summer fast approaches, everyone begins to make their plans for some fun at the beach. This is time for one to get a nice tan from the UV rays of the sun. Some might get a tan at a tanning salon even before they hit the waves. But is the aftermath really worth the tan? Is there even any way to get a safe tan? The effects of the UV light have both positive and negative consequences on the body. Vitamin D intake and phototherapy are both positive factors. Negatively, UV light can lead to skin cancer and eye damage. While the sun contains a greater amount of UVB, the “burning” rays which are more harmful, the tanning beds still gives the skin direct interaction with UVA rays, which can penetrate deep into the skin, causing other problems.
The sun is crucial to the survival of human species. It produces energy for us to grow food, get warmth, light and photosynthesis. Although there are many beneficial factors about the sun, there are some harmful things that it can do to life on earth. One of the harmfull things that the sun produces is a sunburn. A sunburn is the skin's defense to exposure to ultraviolet light (UV light). Often after a sunburn a person will experience redness, blistering, swelling headaches and dehydration . UV light is “ part of the electromagnetic (light) spectrum that reaches the earth from the sun.” There are two rays of UV light that are the main causes of sunburns, both of which are too small for the human eye to see. The first UV light is ultraviolet A (UVA). UVA prematurely ages the skin, causes wrinkling and can travel through glass. UVA is able to travel through glass because of it’s long wavelength (although the wave length is still not long enough for the human eye to see). The second light, UVB has a smaller wavelength and causes the actual burning of the skin.
It's hardly true that environmentalist doomsday scenarios have always been proven wrong. A major one they got right was the destruction of the ozone layer -- without which the sun's deadly ultraviolet rays would have killed most if not all life on the planet. Thanks to quick and top-level scientific research, the alarm was sounded and all the nations of the world agreed to ban the chemicals responsible. F. Sherwood Rowland, Paul Crutzen and Mario Molina deserve far more than their Nobel prizes.
However, unnatural tanning has consequences that come with the deal of good looks. Some scientists and doctors say that tanning beds increases the chance of getting skin cancer. Others disagree and say tanning is healthy. Recent studies show that tanning indoors increases the production of melanin, the body’s own sunscreen, and creates too many cells which makes tanning increase the chance of bad behavior, body injuries, or different kinds of skin cancer.
UV rays can lead to skin aging, like wrinkles and age spots, as well as skin cancer. B. If you start tanning as a teen, you are at a higher risk of getting skin cancer. Every time you tan, you are increasing your risk of getting skin cancer.
Ultraviolet Radiation has always been a huge issue around the world. UV rays are the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum between x rays and visible light; these rays are invisible but cause a lot of damage to both the eyes and skin. The Sun is Earth’s main source of UV rays, but this radiation can also come from things such as tanning beds and black lights. There are three types of UV rays first is UVC, then UVB, and UVA. UVC radiation is almost harmless to humans “…because it is absorbed completely in the atmosphere”. If a human gets overexposed to UVC, things like snow blindness and severe sun burns can happen. These injuries usually last for a day or two causing quite a bit of pain. Next, UVB radiation, it is the most destructive of the three because it has the energy to harm cellular DNA, and is not fully absorbed by the Earth’s atmosphere. UVB causes sunburn and can lead to skin cancer. Lastly there is UVA radiation which is what gives you the tanning of the skin which could lead to sunburn if over exposed. UVA is most commonly used in black lights which are what is inside of tanning booths (Zeman). Anyone who spends a reasonable amount of time outdoors is at risk for eye prob...
Chlorofluorocarbons [CFCs], commonly known as Freon, are a type of organic compounds that are made up of carbon, chlorine, and fluorine atoms. Their significant properties include low volatility of approximately 0℃, together with being tasteless, odourless, non-flammable, nontoxic, and chemically stable. They have supported the society for years through the form of a refrigerant, a solvent and a propellant. Moreover, they have contributed to the industrialization of nations, especially during the 1950s, as a material to manufacture aerosol sprays, and as a blowing agent for foam and packing materials. Ironically, in addition to being a useful compound in many instances, it was found that CFCs have been a leading cause of global warming and the annihilation of species. In 1985, Joe Farman and colleagues discovered and named the destruction of the ozone layer as “the Antarctic ozone hole”. The ozone layer is part of the ozone rich stratosphere – a layer of the earth’s atmosphere that sits approximately 20m above the earth. The main function is to protect the earth from harmful ultraviolet rays [UV rays] emitted from the sun. Thus, the discovery of a hole in the ozone layer was a serious environmental issue. Through investigation, it was found that one of the major factors of the ozone layer deterioration was the production of CFCs. When CFCs reach the atmosphere, they react with UV rays, and turns into substance including chlorine. The chlorine takes place a chemical reaction with the oxygen in ozone, destroying the ozone molecules (See figure 1). According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, a single chlorine atom in the ozone layer can abolish 1,000 zone molecules. In the following essay, the effect of the CFCs on the ozone...
In 1970, Crutzen first showed that nitrogen oxides produced by decaying nitrous oxide from soil-borne microbes react catalytically with ozone hastening its depletion. His findings started research on "global biogeochemical cycles" as well as the effects of supersonic transport aircraft that release nitrogen oxide into the stratosphere.2 In 1974, Molina and Rowland found that human-made chlorofluorocarbons used for making foam, cleaning fluids, refrigerants, and repellents transform into ozone-depleting agents.3 Chlorofluorocarbons stay in the atmosphere for several decades due to their long tropospheric lifetimes. These compounds are carried into the stratosphere where they undergo hundreds of catalytic cycles with ozone.4 They are broken down into chlorine atoms by ultraviolet radiation.5 Chlorine acts as the catalyst for breaking down atomic oxygen and molecular ozone into two molecules of molecular oxygen.
The ozonosphere or as we know it, the ozone layer, is the region of the Earth’s upper atmosphere. It contains a high concentration of ozone molecules. The ozone molecules in the ozone layer work to block an estimated 97-99 percentage of solar radiation from reaching the Earth’s surface. If the ozone layer were not present the radiation from the sun would kill most living things and make our planet uninhabitable. The size and thickness of the ozone layer varies by location and the time of year. It is larger towards the poles of the earth and at its thickest during the spring time. The ozone layer was first discovered by Charles Fabry and Henri Buisson in 1913. In 1958 a network of ozone monitoring stations were established and still operate today. It is important to understand and monitor our ozone layer in order to protect ourselves from the sun’s harmful radiation. We will look at the current status of the ozone layer, the main causes of its degradation, and what the future holds for the ozone layer if we don’t change the way we live.
Probably the most commonly used word by your dermatologist, your beautician, your pharmacist or just the girl next door, and for a good reason. The sun’s damaging UV rays can single-handedly destroy your skin over time and in some cases even cause irreparable damage. It will burn your skin, dry it out, destroy collagen fibers and predispose you to cancer. Whether it’s a scorching sun or not, whether you are outdoors or not, sunscreen is an everyday must-wear. You have a choice.
Many scientist are concerned for the ozone layer, and they are worried that is shrinking too much. They figured out most of it is caused by the chemicals that we humans create. In 1970 scientist saw how much is shrinking and found that chlorofluorocarbons or (CFCs) are hurting the ozone, the CFCs are like the hairsprays, deodorants, and coolers that worked in the refrigerators, and air conditioners are all hurting the ozone layer. Lucky the government banned the products that contained the chemicals that were harming the ozone and made the Clean Air Act. Unfortunately, what stinks is that the Ozone Layer will take about 55 to 60 years to fully heal. (Wikipedia, January 27 2014)