FREE ESSAY ON DEPLETION OF OZONE LAYER

DEPLETION OF OZONE LAYER

Depletion of the Ozone Layer
The issue of whether the people of the world have exaggerated the threat of the ozone
depletion has been widely debated. It is an important issue because it concerns health
and well being now and tomorrow. A variety of different arguments have been put forward
about this issue. Because air pollution is greatly affecting the ozone, America needs to
take immediate steps to stop ozone depletion. This essay will examine different arguments
concerning the ozone layer.
Ozone is a highly irritant gas, which is formed in our atmosphere in the presence of
sunlight from other air pollutants, including nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons. These
"precusor" pollutants, which cause the formation of ozone, are emitted by pollution
sources. The adverse health consequences of breathing ozone at levels below the current
U.S. National ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) of 120 parts per billion are serious
and well documented. Observational epidemiology studies have shown compelling and
consistent evidence of adverse effects by ozone below the current standards. Considering
the published results from various cities, the EPA analysis under predicts the
respiratory hospital admission benefits of their proposed regulations. Airway
inflammation in the lung is among the serious effects that have been demonstrated by
controlled human studies of the ozone at levels typically experienced by most Americans.
Exposures to ozone and particulate matter air pollution have been linked to medically
significant adverse health effects. The current NAAQS for these pollutants are not
sufficiently protective of public health. Both the ozone and particulate matter standards
have vast implications for the equality of life and the economy of the United States. The
vast majority of Americans support improving and enhancing the quality of their life by
eliminating or decreasing air pollution. Americans are quite willing to shoulder the
burden of clean air. The Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S public and
demonstrate to the public their vigorous support for a better quality of life and clean
air. We will have achieved only marginal effects by decreasing the current ambient air
quality standards from120 parts per billion to 90 parts per billion. The nature of the
dose-response relationship is such that reduction to much lower levels may be necessary
to result in the abolition of detectable health effects from ozone standards and
strategies, the highest quality research is needed.