Which term refers to pollutants that damage the ozone layer?

Which term refers to pollutants that damage the ozone layer?

• A. CFCs
• B. Fauna
• C. Flora
• D. Tidal Power

Answer: (A)

Ozone-depleting substances are pollutants that damage the ozone layer. A classic example is chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs. These compounds can travel up to the stratosphere intact. When they are hit by ultraviolet light, they release chlorine atoms. Those chlorine atoms catalytically destroy ozone molecules: one chlorine atom can break many ozone molecules in a repeating cycle, producing oxygen and leaving more chlorine to repeat the process. This thinning of the ozone layer lowers the atmosphere’s protection against harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun, which can increase skin cancer risk and other environmental impacts. The other options don’t fit. Fauna and flora are living organisms, not pollutants, so they aren’t the term used for substances that damage the ozone. Tidal power is a way of generating renewable energy and has no inherent role as an ozone-depleting pollutant.

Ozone-depleting substances are pollutants that damage the ozone layer. A classic example is chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs. These compounds can travel up to the stratosphere intact. When they are hit by ultraviolet light, they release chlorine atoms. Those chlorine atoms catalytically destroy ozone molecules: one chlorine atom can break many ozone molecules in a repeating cycle, producing oxygen and leaving more chlorine to repeat the process. This thinning of the ozone layer lowers the atmosphere’s protection against harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun, which can increase skin cancer risk and other environmental impacts.

The other options don’t fit. Fauna and flora are living organisms, not pollutants, so they aren’t the term used for substances that damage the ozone. Tidal power is a way of generating renewable energy and has no inherent role as an ozone-depleting pollutant.