Students take part in the painting competition at Shrikrishna Science Centre in Patna on Tuesday. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

Experts taught city students the importance of ozone layer and how they could save it from depletion at a session at Shrikrishna Science Centre on Tuesday.

Shrikrishna Science Centre organised the lecture as part of its International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer celebration. Satish Ranjan, education officer, Shrikrishna Science Centre, said: “The aim of organising the lecture was to enlighten students about ozone layer and how they can help to save it from depletion.”

Around 300 students of various schools, including St Karen’s High School, St Joseph’s Convent High School, Patna Central School and BD Public School, attended the lecture.

Atul Aditya Pandey, professor, geology, Patna Science College, said: “Ozone layer is important because it prevents the ultraviolet rays from reaching the earth’s surface. In the 1970s, scientists discovered that chloroflourocarbons (CFCs) could destroy ozone layer. In 1994, the United Nations had decided to celebrate International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer to generate awareness about the importance of ozone.”

A painting competition was organised in which around 150 students took part.

Explaining the reason why the ozone layer is created in the stratosphere, the second layer of the atmosphere, Pandey said: “Ozone is created in the stratosphere by protolysis method. It means the solar radiation strikes oxygen molecules that causes two oxygen atoms to split. When a free atom clashes with another oxygen molecule, they join and ozone layer is formed. Ozone is naturally broken in stratosphere by sunlight or chemical reaction with various compounds containing nitrogen, hydrogen and chlorine.”

Anu Priya, a Class VI student of St Karen’s High School, said: “I learnt many interesting facts about ozone.”

An animation film, Ozzy Ozone, was screened on this occasion. Class VII student of Turning Point School Pooja Rani said: “The animation film on ozone layer was very informative and provided many important facts.”