The statement for small quantities of chlorofluorocarbons so harmful to the ozone layer is "Free oxygen atoms can replace the chlorine in chlorine monoxide, releasing a free atom of chlorine which can then recombine with an oxygen atom in ozone, destroying more ozone."
What is ozone layer?
The ozone layer is a thin layer of air in the Earth's atmosphere that absorbs nearly all of the sun's damaging UV radiation.
What is CFCs?
CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) are harmless and nonflammable compounds made up of carbon, chlorine, and fluorine atoms.
The earth's protective ozone layer is destroyed by chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), and halons, which shield the earth from damaging ultraviolet (UV-B) rays released by the sun. CFCs and HCFCs also warm the earth's lower atmosphere, causing global climate change.
When some substances are exposed to high UV radiation in the stratosphere, they emit chlorine or bromine. Ozone-depleting chemicals are compounds that contribute to ozone depletion (ODS). Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), carbon tetrachloride, and methyl chloroform are examples of ODS that produce chlorine. Halons and methyl bromide are two ODS that emit bromine.
Because there isn't much ozone in the atmosphere, what little there is is critical for protecting the Earth's surface from excessive UV light from the Sun. It turns out that it reacts with chlorine, which means that chlorine effectively eliminates ozone.
When the chlorine in CFCs combines with ultraviolet light, it releases chlorine, which then reacts with ozone, reducing the protection humans get from ultraviolet light, allowing more CFCs to release chlorine, and so on. Multiple ozone molecules will interact with one free chlorine atom, which is free because UV light has hit the CFC molecule. As a result, the damage it can cause is likely to be significantly more than you might imagine.
Hence the correct option is c.
Learn more about ozone layer and CFCs here
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