A Quick Note on Uses of Ozone – O3

Earth and its people are shielded from the sun’s powerful UV radiation thanks to the diamagnetic gas known as ozone (O₃). Three oxygen atoms make up the allotropic molecular form of oxygen known as ozone. To create ozone, oxygen passes over a high voltage potential, causing oxygen O₂ to connect and form an additional O₃.

In 1865, Jacques Louis Soret discovered the molecular formula for ozone by measuring the volume change in O₃/O₂ mixtures after heating or exposing them to turpentine and cinnamon oil. ‘Ozone’ comes from the Greek word ‘ozein’, which means ‘smelling’. Ground-level ozone emits an unpleasant, pungent odour, giving rise to this connotation.

Uses of Ozone (O₃)

1. Water treatment facilities without filtering systems employ ozone as a disinfectant.
2. Equipment such as photocopiers, laser printers, and other electrical gadgets can also produce ozone.
3. Disinfect and treat diseases with ozone therapy, which limits the impact of microorganisms such as microbes and viruses.
4. It is possible to use ozone-depleting chemicals as refrigerants due to their ability to transmit heat between locations effectively.

Properties of Ozone

O₃ is a diamagnetic, blue, unstable gas with a distinctive pungent stench that shields the planet and its inhabitants from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation. Three oxygen atoms make up the allotropic molecular form of oxygen known as ozone (O₃).

In 1865, ozone’s O₃ structure was discovered. Ozone is a significantly more potent oxidant than dioxygen, so it is often used as a disinfectant. Ozone damages the plant and animal tissues due to the oxidative potential at concentrations as low as 0.1 ppm. 

The boiling point of ozone, a blue gas, is -112 degrees Celsius. Ozonation is capable of dissolving in water under conditions of atmospheric pressure. Ozone is 13 times more soluble in water than oxygen under typical conditions. Due to its high oxidation potential, ozone is an extremely potent and effective oxidant.

The Ozone Layer

The ozone layer is a stratospheric layer of the Earth’s atmosphere that shields the sun’s ultraviolet rays from the atmosphere. Approximately, 97%-99% of the sun’s medium-frequency UV energy is absorbed by the ozone layer.

You can identify it by its O₃ suffix, which stands for ozone. The upper stratosphere is densely populated by ozone. The sun’s UV rays create the ozone layer. The oxygen molecule (O₂) splits into two separate atoms, each of which can unite with other atoms to generate ozone when exposed to radiation or an electrical discharge.

Depletion of the Ozone Layer

Due to the loss of the ozone layer, the Earth’s surface is exposed to higher levels of UV radiation, which is harmful to human health. Skin malignancies, eye cataracts, and immune deficiency problems are some of the side effects. This happens when chlorine and bromine atoms touch the stratosphere’s ozone. As many as 100,000 ozone molecules can be destroyed in the atmosphere by one chlorine atom. The rate at which ozone can be destroyed is faster than that generated naturally.

The use of CFCs was curtailed and eventually prohibited following the 1973 ratification of an international treaty. On an Antarctic stratospheric ozone layer, levels were as low as 33% of pre-1975 levels by the 1980s.

Chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, crucially contribute to the loss of the ozone layer. Carbon, fluorine, and chlorine combine to form CFCs. They can resist even harsh weather conditions. When CFCs decompose and release chlorine, they do not react in general. 

Conclusion

The ozone layer, which is 15 miles above the surface of the earth, safeguards life on the planet by absorbing the sun’s strongest ultraviolet radiation. Ozone has various uses. It is used as a disinfectant in water treatment systems. Chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, crucially contribute to the loss of the ozone layer. When the ozone layer is depleted, more UV light reaches Earth than is normally measured, raising Earth’s temperature and increasing the risk of sunburn and skin cancer.