Ozone layer, a layer of high concentration of ozone surrounding the earth at an altitude of about 15-35 km. It acts as a shield for earth as it absorbs all the ultraviolent (UV) rays from the sun. UV rays are invisible rays that are a part of the sun's energy. They may cause severe damage to human health, animals and the environment. But in the early 1980s, through many experiments, scientists realized that the ozone was melting in the south pole region each spring. This melting of the ozone came to be known as the ozone hole.
Now, what's causing this natural layer of earth to melt? The main cause of ozone depletion would be the releasing of gasses like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) or balons into the atmosphere. These gasses are found to be coming from aerosol spray cans and refrigerants. Other chemicals such as halons, methyl bromide, methyl chloroform, etc are also responsible for the depletion of the ozone. These gasses are known as Ozone depleting substances (ODS) and are the main cause of the ozone depletion.
However, as of the first week of August 2021, the ozone hole started recovering.
This was due to many reasons and measures taken. The human-produced bromine and chlorine compounds are slowly being removed from the atmosphere through natural processes. This is also due to the landmark international agreement to control the production of these compounds. The 1987 Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer began removing the CFCs from the environment. Due to that agreement, the consumption of ozone-depleting chemicals had fallen by 90-95% in countries that were a part of the agreement. From Early August to September 13th the ozone grew rapidly and extended to 23 million square km which is above average since the mid 1980's. If we continue to remove the amount of ODS in the environment, and carry on this teamwork, we will further be able to recover the ozone layer and make earth a sustainable place to live in!
Filza J
The Carbon Newsprint
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