Sep 15, 2006, 16:29 GMT
Geneva - Ozone loss over the Arctic and Antarctic could get worse before it gets better, scientists at the World Meteorological Organization, WMO, warned Friday.
'In the Arctic, we expect we might observe a very serious ozone loss in the future. The same as we have seen in 2004-5 and also back in 2000. This might well happen again depending on the temperature conditions,' said WMO?s Geir Braathen.
WMO predictions have been published in its first Arctic Ozone Bulletin to mark the 2006 International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer set for Saturday.
In August scientists revealed that, despite the success of the Montreal Protocol in phasing out ozone-depleting products, the hole in the ozone layer was going to take until 2049 to repair, five years longer than predicted in 2002.
However in the Arctic and Antarctic recovery would be even slower, delayed by a further 15 years or until 2068. This was because of climate change and much colder winters in the polar zones. Extreme cold enhanced the impact of Chlorofluorocarbons, or CFC's, blamed for the ozone breakdown.
There was also new data on the impact of CFC gas leaks from old fridges abandoned in junk yards which were still releasing the harmful gases.
Unlike the Antarctic, the ozone 'hole' over the Arctic, which is more populated, was constantly shifting. As it moved, people in Alaska, Canada, Greenland, northern Europe and Siberia were intermittently more exposed to harmful ultra-violet rays, or UV-B, from the sun.
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