CFCs have significant environmental impacts, primarily in their role in the depletion of the [ozone layer](#). When released into the atmosphere, CFCs slowly migrate to the stratosphere, where they are broken down by ultraviolet (UV) radiation, releasing chlorine atoms. These chlorine atoms catalyze the destruction of ozone molecules, leading to [ozone depletion](#). The thinning of the ozone layer increases the amount of harmful UV radiation reaching the Earth's surface.