Scientist: Ozone Layer Is Increasingly Thin, Especially At The South Pole Of Antarctica

UNSPLASH/Torsten ILLUSTRATION Deder

JAKARTA - The ozone layer has been running low since 2020, especially in the South Pole and Antarctica, a Turkish scientist said.

Prof. Mete Tayanc from the University of Marmara in Istanbul said the ozone layer is like a shield blocking the dangerous ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun, but continues the light that we can see and is important to life on Earth.

Tayanc said that if there is no ozone layer, humans will experience negative impacts such as premature skin aging, various kinds of cancer, immune system disorders, and early cataracts. The photosynthesis process in plants will also be disrupted.

According to him, there are three main factors that cause depletion of the ozone layer: chlorofluorocarbon (CFC), fine particles, and sunlight.

Tayanc warned Montreal Protocol of Ozone Layer Destroyer Substances has underpinned efforts to phase out various substances that damage the ozone layer.

The protocol, adopted on September 16, 1987 and took effect on January 1, 1989, is an international agreement aimed at protecting the ozone layer by gradually removing ozone-depleting substances.

"When the Montreal Protocol was first compiled, the ozone-depleting chemicals were expected to be reduced by 50 percent in 1999, however, this target was later revised," saidayanc.

The London amendment, signed in 1990, set a new target of banning all ozone-depleting gas by 2000.

"Although the emissions of these substances have decreased significantly, some of them are still used in small quantities to date," he said as quoted by ANTARA from Anadolu, Wednesday, September 18.

"Since 2020, the depletion of the ozone layer has continued significantly," said Tayanc.

"The total ozone level continues to decline, and as we are now in September, the affected areas are expanding," the scientist said.

"As of September 9, 2024, the area of the ozone hole has reached more than 10 million square kilometers," he said.

The United Nations designated September 16 as the International Day of the Preservation of the Ozone Layer.