![]() ![]() ![]() 'Because the destruction of CFCs in the stratosphere is a slow process, their removal from the atmosphere will take many decades', Dr Michaela Hegglin from the Department of Meteorlogy at the University of Reading, who was not involved in the research, wrote in an accompanying article. One is even used in the production of an ozone-friendly replacement for CFCs. VSLSs include chemicals used as solvents, paint strippers, and as degreasing agents. They say another possibility is that very short-lived substances (VSLSs), which contain chlorine and bromine, could be destroying ozone in the lower stratosphere. The cause is not certain but the researchers believe it is possible climate change is altering the pattern of atmospheric circulation - causing more ozone to be carried away from the tropics. The upper stratosphere at lower latitudes is also showing clear signs of recovery, proving the Montreal Protocol is working well.īut the new study, published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, found it is likely not recovering at latitudes between 60°N and 60°S (London is at 51°N). In 1987, the Montreal Protocol was agreed, which led to the phase-out of CFCs and, recently, the first signs of recovery of the Antarctic ozone layer. In the 1970s, it was recognised that chemicals called CFCs, used for example in refrigeration and aerosols, were destroying ozone in the stratosphere. This is because levels of ozone-depleting substances like chlorine and bromine remain high enough to produce significant ozone loss. In the stratosphere, roughly seven to 25 miles above Earth's surface, the ozone layer acts like sunscreen, shielding the planet from potentially harmful ultraviolet radiation ![]()
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