Effects of CFCs Environment y CFCs, when released from the surfa ce of the Ear th, rise slowly in to the strato sphere. y They are bombarded by the incoming UV light from the Sun, releasing the chlorine atoms from the parent compound y Which can then react with the ozone molecules (Figure 1) y Eventually the chlorine atom is removed from the atmosphere by other reactions. Figure 1: The destruction of stratospheric ozone (6) y Chlorofluorocarbons (which are used in aerosols, refrigerants, and other industrial products) are remarkably inert and nonreactive.Indeed, it is because of these characteristics---specif ically because they are nontoxi c and nonflammable ---that the y were invented. y But when they eventually rise into the stratosphere, they are decomposed by solar ultraviolet radiations into free chlorine atoms: Chlorofluorocarbon Cl, Cl + O 3 ClO + O 2 , ClO + O Cl + O 2 . The chlorine atoms are recycled in these reactions, and are then free to attack other ozone molecules. A single chlorine atom, released by the action of UV radiation on chlorofluorocarbons, is capable of destroying catalytically tens of thousands of ozone molecules during its residence in the stratosphere.It attributes to an increasing hole in the ozone layer in the atmosphere above Antarctica, coupled with growing evidenc e of global ozone depletion! Health Since the app earance of an ozone hole over the Antarctic in the e arly 1980s, Americans have become aware of the health threats posed by ozone depletion, which decreases our atmosphere's natur al protection from the sun's harmful ultra -violet (UV) rays. y Skin Cancer - Basal Cell Carcinomas are the most common type of skin cancer tumors. They usually appear as small, fleshy bumps or nodules on the head and neck, but can occur on other