Forest protection

Forest fires in Australia severely damage the ozone layer

Experts from the United States of America have conducted a research paper, the results of which demonstrate that smoke from forest fires contributes to the destruction of the ozone layer, Zakon.kz reports.

A press release published on the website said that the wildfires that ravaged Australia in 2019 and 2020 covered an area of more than 17 million hectares. Scientists pointed out that nitrogen dioxide levels in the stratosphere dropped significantly afterwards. In March 2020 alone, the total loss of ozone was 1%.

At the same time, the abandonment of dangerous ozone-depleting gases over the past decade has restored no more than the same 1% of stratospheric ozone. The disaster has literally undone all human efforts to restore the planet’s ozone layer.

The reduction in nitrogen dioxide is directly related to the amount of smoke released in fires.

Scientists also believe that in the same Australia, the risk of skin cancer in the population will increase significantly.