The hole in the ozone layer could be cured completely soon

The level of ozone-depleting substances has fallen after an agreement on their production has been concluded more than 30 years ago, according to a recent report by the United Nations.

The United Nations's latest report on the state of the ozone layer shows that it could return to the level of 1980 by the middle of this century. According to the Science Alert, the Montreal Protocol was introduced in 1989 and aims to protect the environment by lowering the level of chemicals responsible for atmospheric ozone degradation.

Oxygen molecules manage to easily absorb the most harmful UV radiation that would have reached the ground. At about 20-30 kilometers of soil, the ozone layer performs this task. In 1980, scientists realized that different chemicals used in the industrial field, including chlorofluorocarbons, are responsible for degradation of the ozone layer density.

While the degradation is observed globally, fluctuations of Antarctic seasons have led to a hole in the ozone layer that puts the ecosystem in jeopardy. The Montreal Protocol is a response to this threat and, as former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan says, is one of the most successful international agreements.