Ozone depletion

Ozone depletion is when the ozone layer (a special kind of air) in the atmosphere starts to get thinner and thinner. Ozone is a chemical that helps protect us from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and when it gets thinner, our skin and eyes can get hurt more easily. The ozone layer is affected by certain kinds of man-made chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) that people use in cars and tractors, refrigerators, and other appliances. CFCs are chemicals that stick around in the atmosphere for a long time, and eventually they make their way up to the ozone layer, where they start to break down the ozone molecules. This means that the air in our atmosphere does not have enough ozone to protect us from UV radiation.