EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -The stratospheric ozone layer is Earth’s “sunscreen” – protecting living things from too much ultraviolet radiation from the sun. The emission of ozone depleting substances has been damaging the ozone layer.

Detailed explanation-2: -The ozone layer protects us from potentially harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

Detailed explanation-3: -The ozone layer in the stratosphere absorbs a portion of the radiation from the sun, preventing it from reaching the planet’s surface. Most importantly, it absorbs the portion of UV light called UVB. UVB is a kind of ultraviolet light from the sun (and sun lamps) that has several harmful effects.

Detailed explanation-4: -The depletion of the ozone layer leads, on the average, to an increase in ground-level ultraviolet radiation, because ozone is an effective absorber of ultraviolet radiation.

Detailed explanation-5: -It absorbs most of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation (UV-B), limiting the amount of this radiation that reaches the surface of the Earth. Because this radiation causes skin cancer and cataracts, the ozone layer plays an important role in protecting human health.