Caution against a new hole in the ozone layer

• April 27, 2024

There is a record decrease in ozone layer located in the North pole due to an extremely cold winter, which caused the ozone destruction , reported the National Center for Scientific Research of France. According to the observations made, the reduction of the layer in this area of ​​the globe is close to 40% .

Do you like to tan? Be careful, depletion of the ozone layer not only threatens animal species, but affects humans. Without the ozone layer, a greater amount of harmful solar radiation , that is to say ultraviolet rays , which causes serious problems to our health. It can cause skin cancer, cataracts in the eyes and immunological deficiencies, among others.

The Dr. Armando Báez Pedrajo , Head of the Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry of the Center for Atmospheric Sciences of the UNAM, explains that hole in the ozone layer has been slowly forming and has been enlarged due to the emissions of compounds such as fluorocarbons . "In summer it gets bigger over the poles because of the solar radiation , and in the winter it closes because there are no effects on the sun, "he said.

"The hole is already the size of Australia, which is worrisome. It does not affect anyone directly at the moment, since where the hole is located, not many people live, but the radiation is stronger in the countries near the poles, "warns the specialist.

How do UV rays affect us?

In Mexico we live at 2,200 meters high, so the radiation It is stronger than the one that reaches the state of Veracruz, or the coast of Acapulco, because it is 2 km. more air that protect them, I mention the Dr. Báez .

"People who are exposed too much to solar radiation can get skin cancer. It is recommended that you do not expose yourself to Sun in a place as high as the Federal District, and especially in winter, that radiation is more direct because there is no humidity, no clouds and the sun hits directly, "he said.

It is difficult for the UV radiation go through ozone layer . The layer is 21 or 22 km away. of height and plays a role of great importance, but if it were compressed, it would only be a few centimeters thick.

Báez mentions that the flurocarbons they live between 50 and 100 years, although their use has been prohibited in products such as sprays or refrigerators, it would take many years for the layer to recover, but it does have the capacity to do so.

"Regardless of the hole in the ozone layer , we must understand that the sun burns, and that we must be careful when we expose ourselves directly to him for more than 15 minutes. Especially in high places like the D.F. "he warned.

Video Medicine: Depletion of the Ozone Layer 1987 (April 2024).