Question

One of your classmates argues that the ozone-depleting substances banned by the Montreal Protocol are actually beneficial to human beings because ozone is a pollutant. Evaluate the accuracy of your classmates statement. Describe the circumstances under which ozone is a pollutant, and explain whether these circumstances apply to the presence of ozone-depleting substances in the atmosphere.

Answer 1

Answer: Ozone is considered as chief polluting gas.

Explanation:

The ozone is a ground level pollutant. It is a colorless gas. It causes irritation in the eyes and respiratory tract. It is one of the components of smog as it causes pollution in the atmosphere. It is produced by the two primary pollutants that are nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds when they react with the sunlight. The ozone makes the air irrespirable. It is the main cause of throat irritation, labored breath, pain in chest and also responsible for respiratory diseases. It reduces the body's ability against infection. The ozone depleting substances like aerosol, chlorofluorocarbon are widening the ozone depleting zone as halides present in these substances react with the ozone causing depletion. This allows the entry of harmful ultraviolet radiation penetrating the atmospheric layers.