What can destroy the stratospheric ozone according to the material?

What can destroy the stratospheric ozone according to the material?

• A. Man-made pollutants
• B. Natural weather
• C. CO2
• D. Water vapor

Answer: (A)

Man-made pollutants are what destroy the stratospheric ozone because they release chlorine and bromine in the upper atmosphere. When these halogen-containing compounds (like certain refrigerants and solvents) reach the stratosphere and are exposed to UV light, they break apart and release Cl and Br radicals. These radicals act as catalysts in chemical cycles that repeatedly destroy ozone (O3) molecules, turning them into ordinary oxygen (O2). One chlorine atom can destroy many ozone molecules before it’s neutralized, leading to significant depletion, especially in the polar regions where chemical conditions on clouds promote the process. Natural weather or everyday gases like CO2 and water vapor don’t initiate these catalytic ozone-destroying cycles in the same way. They may influence atmospheric temperature or chemistry in other ways, but they are not the primary drivers of stratospheric ozone destruction.

Man-made pollutants are what destroy the stratospheric ozone because they release chlorine and bromine in the upper atmosphere. When these halogen-containing compounds (like certain refrigerants and solvents) reach the stratosphere and are exposed to UV light, they break apart and release Cl and Br radicals. These radicals act as catalysts in chemical cycles that repeatedly destroy ozone (O3) molecules, turning them into ordinary oxygen (O2). One chlorine atom can destroy many ozone molecules before it’s neutralized, leading to significant depletion, especially in the polar regions where chemical conditions on clouds promote the process.

Natural weather or everyday gases like CO2 and water vapor don’t initiate these catalytic ozone-destroying cycles in the same way. They may influence atmospheric temperature or chemistry in other ways, but they are not the primary drivers of stratospheric ozone destruction.