Ozone Layer Depletion

1. Introduction
The Global community is once again alarmed by the expansion of the man-made ozone hole over the Antarctica, calling for reaffirmed international efforts to prevent the ozone depletion.

British Antarctic Survey (BAS) scientist Jonathan Shankli, one of the first to discover the evidence of the ozone depletion in 1985, recently reported that the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica was at its largest historical record in the month of August. The report says that the ozone hole was at just short of 28 million square kilometer, just a fraction under the absolute record of 28.5 million.
In 2002, the hole showed signs of recovery raising hopeful voices, however, Shanklin said scientists concluded that this occurrence was due to atmospheric conditions, and that the 2003 depletion of the ozone layer was back to its ‘normal activity’.


2. Ozone layer - the overview

Ozone (O3) is a colorless gas that is a close chemical relative of molecular oxygen (O2). Most of the Ozone in the atmosphere is found in a region known as stratosphere, a layer between 15 and 35 km above the earth surface that protects the earth from cell-damaging Ultraviolet (UV). Protecting the ozone layer is essential since the UV radiation from the Sun can cause a variety of human health problems, including skin cancers, eye cataracts, and a reduction in the body''s immunity to disease. Furthermore, ultraviolet radiation can be damaging to the basis of the world’s food chain, while a loss of ozone in the stratosphere may even affect the global climate.

Degrees of Ozone concentration in the stratosphere fluctuate in nature responding to changes in weather conditions and amounts of the Sun’s energy being released. Nevertheless, during the 1970s the concerns were raised in that manmade emissions like CFCs and other chemicals used in refrigeration, aerosols and cleansing agents may have caused a mass depletion of ozone in the stratosphere, resulting in more of the harmful ultraviolet radiation reaching the earth. Then in 1985 evidence of a large "ozone hole" was discovered above the continent of Antarctica during the springtime. This has reappeared annually, generally expanding each year.


3. Global Efforts to protect the ozone layer

The depletion of the ozone layer is a worldwide problem in which the frontiers between different countries are transcended. Sound results can only be brought through determined international co-operation.

Having discovered the evidences of ozone depletion and its drastic impacts on earth, –the Vienna Convention was established to encourage research, cooperation among countries, and exchange of information on the surrounding matters of the ozone layer and the effects of ozone depleting chemicals (ODCs). On the basis of the Vienna Convention, the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was negotiated and signed by 24 countries and by the European Economic Community in September 1987. The Protocol called for the Parties to phase down the use of CFCs, halons and other manmade ODCs.

The Montreal Protocol represented a landmark in the international environmentalist movement. For the first time countries were legally bound to reducing and eventually bringing end to the use of CFCs and other ODCs. Failure to comply was accompanied by strict penalties. The Protocol was further supplemented by agreements made in London (1990), Copenhagen (1992), Montreal (1997), most recently in Beijing (1999) which introduced a freezing of HCFC production by 2003. In each amendment, the countries promised to stop using CFCs and most of the other chemical compounds destructive to ozone, expanding the number o f chemi cals u nder restriction. Fortunately, it has been fairly easy to develop and introduce compounds and methods to replace CFC compounds.

In order to deal with the special difficulties experienced by developing countries it was agreed that they would be given an extended grace period, as long as their use of CFCs did not grow significantly. China and India, for example, are strongly increasing the use of air conditioning and cooling devices. Using CFC compounds in these devices would be cheaper than using replacement compounds harmless to ozone. An international fund was therefore established to help these countries introduce new and more environmentally friendly technologies and chemicals.

* Korea became a party of the Montreal protocol in 1992, and as of today the protocol holds 184 parties.


4. Korea government''s efforts

As part of Korea’s commitment to curing the stratospheric ozone layer, the government amended the Act on Control, etc. of Manufacture of Specific Substance for the Protection of the Ozone Layer. Most importantly, the amended Act required the gradual end to the production of chemicals that deplete the ozone layer by strictly complying with international agreements, and fostering a development of alternate substances to ODCs. Furthermore, since 1997, the Environmental Mark has been conferred on the refrigerators that do not use CFCs in an effort to motivate a green consumerism.

Developing the alternate compounds to the ODCs would be crucial in recovering the ozone layer while minimizing the impact on industrial activities. Thereby, in Korea, the strategic development project of the alternative chemicals has been undertaken since 1990. The project involves three phases, and specific action plans are outlined for each. Korea has undergone the first two phases during 1990 -1999 with a total investment of appox. US $ 16 million. The successful outcomes were the establishment of the technological infrastructure to develop innovative chemicals, including CF3I, a leading candidate for the replacement of halon fire extinguishing agents because of its high degree of effectiveness as a flame suppressant and its short tropospheric lifetime and low ozone depletion potential. Furthermore, Korea has partaken in developing the chemicals to dissolve CFCs, and environment-friendly cooling compounds for air conditioners. The third step, now in progress, entails further developments of alternative substances to ODCs as well as the establishment of the facilities for manufacturing the new chemicals.

In addition, since 1996, the Ministry of Environment, in association with the National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER), has been performing seasonal monitoring on the concentration levels of CFC-11 and CFC-12.


5. Remaining Challenges

Following the Montreal Protocol most ozone depleting chemicals (ODCs) have or are being phased out of use in most target applications such as aerosols, refrigeration and air conditioning. However, it would take several years to see the benefits of the output reduction due to the time lag in the natural cycle. Moreover, consumer products bought before international agreements may still be in use at homes and offices and cannot easily be replaced. Large appliances, such as refrigerators, have long lifetimes and early replacement would entail great cost. Proper care and maintenance of equipment to ensure that the CFCs they contain are never released to the atmosphere should be applied.