What is ozone depletion?

Ozone depletion refers to the decline of ozone gas in the Earth's atmosphere. This decline of ozone gas means large amounts of ultraviolet B radiation reaches the Earth's surface.

Ozone gas is a highly reactive gas that sits high up in the Earth's atmosphere. It shields the Earth's surface from dangerous ultraviolet B radiation that comes from the sun. Many attribute the depletion of ozone gas to high amounts of pollution that break down gas molecules. Ultraviolet B radiation has been linked to skin cancer in humans and has many other negative effects to different organisms, making the depletion of the ozone layer a pressing environmental and public health issue.