Ozone (O3) is a molecule consisting of three oxygen atoms, similar to the oxygen we breathe (O2), however oxygen consists of only two oxygen atoms. In the stratosphere, a region high up in the upper atmosphere, light rays are responsible for the breaking down of oxygen (O2), breathable oxygen into its two separate oxygen atoms. Lone oxygen atoms are markedly reactive. When a lone oxygen atom comes into contact with a breathable oxygen molecule (O2) …showed first 75 words of 3777 total…

…showed last 75 words of 3777 total…wide web are gratefully acknowledged: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours, Wilmington, DE Environment Canada Environmental Protection Service National Water Research Insitute Ontario Ministry of Environment and Energy Global Resources, Union of Concerned Scientists Health Canada Health Protection Branch. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Greenbelt, Maryland, USA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory Boulder, Colorado, USA United Nations Environment Programme World Meteorological Organization Worldwatch Institute Washington, D. C., USA