ISTANBUL

Thinning of the ozone layer has been observed each year since 2020, with the most significant thinning occurring over the South Pole and Antarctica, a Turkish expert said.

Speaking to Anadolu, Prof. Mete Tayanc, an academic from Marmara University in Istanbul, explained that the ozone layer filters ultraviolet rays and allows visible wavelengths to pass through, thereby supporting life.

In 1994, the UN designated Sept. 16 as International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer.

Tayac said If the ozone layer was absent, the world would see negative effects such as premature skin aging, cancers like melanoma, immune system disorders, early-onset cataracts in humans, and disruption of the photosynthesis process in plants.

He also added that there are three main factors causing the thinning of the ozone layer: chlorofluorocarbons, particulate matter, and sunlight.

Tayanc recalled that the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer has led to the phased elimination of many substances responsible for ozone layer depletion.

The protocol, adopted on Sept. 16, 1987, and came into effect on Jan. 1, 1989, is an international treaty aimed at safeguarding the ozone layer by gradually eliminating the production of various ozone-depleting substances.

"When the Montreal Protocol was first prepared, it was envisaged that ozone-thinning chemicals would be reduced by 50 percent by 1999. This goal was later revised," Tayanc said.

"The London Amendment, signed in 1990, set a new target to ban all ozone-depleting gases by 2000. Despite significant reductions in emissions, some of these substances are still used in small quantities today," he added.

Since 2020, the thinning of the ozone layer has continued significantly, he said.

"Total ozone levels are decreasing, and as we are in September, the affected area is expanding," the expert said

"As of Sept. 9, 2024, the ozone hole is larger than 10 million square kilometers (3.9 million square miles)," he added.

*Writing by Muhammed Enes Calli