The Poisoning of Our Ozone LayerThe poisoning of the Earth's ozone layer is attracting increasing global concern about the global environment and health effects on life on planet Earth. There is not just one particular cause for ozone depletion; the accumulation of different pollutants in our ozone layer has added up and equaled a worldwide problem. Ozone poisoning has not just one effect, but multiple ramifications, from illness to death. Ozone damage increases every second; Furthermore, there are many ways we can help reduce the problem and preserve the ozone layer. Ozone is a pale blue gaseous form of oxygen, in chemical form it is also known as O3. Ozone can be beneficial or harmful depending on its location in the Earth's atmosphere. If ozone is found in the troposphere (which extends from the Earth's surface to about 10 miles) it is a harmful pollutant and a major component of smog and other substances. environmental health problems. Such ground-level ozone can damage plastic, rubber, plant and animal tissues. Ozone located about 10 to 25 miles above the Earth's surface, in a part of the Earth's atmosphere called the stratosphere, is very beneficial. Ozone is an important factor that makes life possible on Earth. About 90% of the planet's ozone is found in the ozone layer. The ozone in this layer protects and filters the Earth from 95-99% of the sun's ultraviolet radiation. A low level of ozone does not protect or prevent the sun's ultraviolet rays from reaching the Earth's surface, therefore, overexposing life on Earth causing many diseases. Ozone depletion is caused by many factors, but the one cause that will be explored in the next paragraph is the main reason why our ozone is continually being poisoned. The main cause of the thinning of the earth's ozone layer is due to the release of chlorofluorocarbons into the atmosphere. Chlorofluorocarbons, also known as CFCs, are industrially produced chemical compounds that contain the elements chlorine, fluorine, carbon, and sometimes hydrogen that destroy protective ozone in the atmosphere. Because CFCs are heavier than air, the process by which CFCs reach the ozone generally takes two to five years to reach the stratosphere. When CFCs reach the stratosphere, ultraviolet radiation from the sun causes them to break down.