Arctic ozone loss less

IQALUIT — The protective ozone layer over the North Pole appears to have stabilized after years of thinning.

Depletion of the ozone layer over the Arctic and Antarctica is monitored because ozone protects people from harmful ultraviolet radiation. Too much UV radiation can cause skin cancer.

Scientists from the United Nations World Meteorological Organization say the halt may be due to natural cycles, which include a warmer-than-usual winter and the current peak in the 11-year cycle of the solar activity. They don’t believe the present thicker ozone layer is as a result of global cuts in the use of ozone-destroying chemicals.

The annual opening of the ozone hole usually starts in November and intensifies during January and February before tailing off in April as temperatures rise.

According to the journal New Scientist, other scientists are predicting that if there are no holes in the ozone layer, toxic chemicals may begin to accumulate, particularly in southern regions.

That’s because a naturally-occurring detergent that kills most pollutants thrives on high levels of UV radiation. These are less efficient in the Arctic, one reason the high polar regions have become a sink for contaminants.