Response to How Do Fluorocarbons Affect the Ozone Layer?

to add to bradford delongs answer, as chloroflurocarbons are broken down by high frequencies of electromagnetic radiation (corresponding to bond enthalpies) free radicals are produced. these react with ozone depleting in the following mechanism (where x is a free radical): x + O3 = XO + O2 ...and then.. XO + O = X + O2 the fact that a radical remains after the conversion of ozone to oxygen is the problem. radicals remain in the atmosphere indefinitely. also the speed of the catalysis is high, Cl atoms can catalyse propagation reactions at 1500 times the speed of oxygen radicals

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