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How does ultraviolet radiation cause chlorofluorocarbons to release chlorine atoms?
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organohalogen compound
Vinyl chloride is an organohalogen compound that has important industrial applications. When treated with certain catalysts, vinyl chloride monomers undergo polymerization and form the larger compound known as polyvinyl chloride, or PVC. PVC is used in the manufacture of numerous products, including packaging films and water pipes.
When chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) reach the stratosphere, they are exposed to high-energy ultraviolet radiation. This radiation induces the dissociation of CFC molecules through a process known as carbon-chlorine bond cleavage.12
This chemical reaction breaks the bond between the carbon atom and the chlorine atom, resulting in the production of a highly reactive chlorine atom and a free radical (such as a chlorodifluoromethyl radical). Once released, these chlorine atoms act as catalysts in the stratosphere, where they react with and destroy ozone molecules, contributing to ozone depletion.12