Ozone is a molecule that develops naturally above us. Three oxygen atoms comprise an ozone molecule, and its chemical formula is O3. The phrase “ozone layer” refers to the thick layer of these molecules present in the stratosphere, 15 to 30 kilometres above the earth’s surface. It completely encircles the globe and shields life on earth from the sun’s dangerous ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation. Without the presence of the ozone layer, life would never be able to bloom as we know it. So Let’s Dive into the world of this protective layer and chemical Ozone.
- In 1785 Martinus van Marum, a Dutch chemist was conducting experiments involving electrical sparking above water when he noticed an unusual smell, which he attributed to the electrical reactions, not realizing that he had created ozone.
- When heat and sunlight cause chemical reactions between nitrogen oxides (NOX) and volatile organic compounds (VOC), also known as hydrocarbons, ozone is formed.
- Christian Friedrich Schönbein, a half-century later, noticed the same pungent odour and recognized it as the smell that frequently follows a bolt of lightning. He succeeded in isolating the gaseous chemical in 1839. He named it “ozone,” which was derived from the Greek word ozein (v), which means “to smell.” As a result, Schönbein is widely regarded as the discoverer of ozone. Jacques-Louis Soret discovered the formula for ozone, O3, in 1865, and Schönbein confirmed it in 1867.
- Ozone is also known as trioxygen, which denotes O3 chemically. An oxygen molecule contains two atoms.
- The French physicists Charles Fabry and Henri Buisson discovered the ozone layer in 1913.
- Czechoslovakia Bhartia et al. (1985) presented the first map of the Antarctic Ozone Hole that was produced by the TOMS satellite instrument at the IAGA/IAMAP conference in Prague that was held in August 1985.
- Ozone is a colourless or pale blue gas that is slightly soluble in water but much more so in inert non-polar solvents like carbon tetrachloride or fluorocarbons, in which it forms a blue solution.
- It condenses to form a dark blue liquid at 161 K (112 °C; 170 °F). Allowing this liquid to warm to its boiling point is risky because both concentrated gaseous ozone and liquid ozone can detonate. It forms a violet-black solid at temperatures below 80 K (−193.2 °C; −315.7 °F).
- Most people can detect 0.01 mol/mol of ozone in the air, which has a distinct sharp odour similar to chlorine bleach. A dose of 0.1 to 1 mol/mol causes headaches, burning eyes, and respiratory irritation. Even low levels of ozone in the air are extremely damaging to organic materials such as plastics, latex, and animal lung tissue.
- Ozone has some other industrial and non-industrial benefits, too, some of which are as follows
• Disinfect or Sanitize laundry in hospitals, food factories, care homes etc
• Disinfect water in place of chlorine
• Kill bacteria on food or on contact surfaces
• Sanitize swimming pools and spas
• Kill insects in stored grain
• Clean and bleach fabrics - Humans, as well as animals, would be more vulnerable to skin cancer, cataracts, and immune system impairment if the Ozone Layer shield is weakened.
- Every year on September 16, the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer is observed.
