Decreasing ozone in Europe

1991/11/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Ingurumena

Stratospheric ozone over Europe is losing faster than expected. According to a stratospheric ozone research group, between 1979 and 1990 ozone levels in the northern hemisphere have decreased by 8%, that is, ozone loss doubles that in previous studies. Therefore, according to these data, the decrease in ozone level in Europe has been higher than that recorded in South Africa and New Zealand, in the Antarctic environment.

John Pyle, a researcher in the British Antarctic group, says the problem may be more serious than expected. If the amount of chlorines that damage ozone increases until 2000, the ozone hole that can occur over Europe and North America may be the size of the ozone hole that occurs in Antarctica.