Effects of ozone depletion for humans and the environment

Ozone layer depletion causes increased UV radiation levels at the Earth's surface, which is damaging to human health.

Negative effects include increases in certain types of skin cancers, eye cataracts and immune deficiency disorders. UV radiation also affects terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, altering growth, food chains and biochemical cycles. Aquatic life just below the water’s surface, the basis of the food chain, is particularly adversely affected by high UV levels. UV rays also affect plant growth, reducing agricultural productivity.

It is the UV-B radiation that is harmful and mainly responsible for damaging human health and the environment.

Human health

Increased exposure to UV-B radiation can suppress the immune system by damaging DNA. The UV-B radiation also causes skin cancers - both non-melanoma (the less dangerous) and the virulent cutaneous malignant melanoma, quick ageing and eye cataracts. Similar effects may occur to the other animal population.

Flora

Plants are highly sensitive to UV-B radiation, and small increases in UV-B exposure can have significant biological effects to plant metabolic processes such as photosynthesis, respiration, reproduction, growth and development, and yield formation. It reduces the resilience of plants for biotic stress (Pests and diseases) conditions. Decline in plant productivity would in turn affect soil erosion and the carbon cycle.

Aquatic organisms

UV-B radiation damages aquatic organisms (plankton, aquatic plants and fish larvae, shrimp and larvae of crabs) and can cause damage to early developmental stages of marine life. The most severe effects are decreased reproductive capacity and impaired larval development.

Materials

Common building materials such as paint, rubber, wood and plastics are degraded by UV-B radiation, particularly the plastics and rubbers used outdoors. Damage can be severe in tropical regions, where the effects of UV-B radiation are high.  

Ground-level smog

UV-B radiation increases ground-level smog, especially in cities where vehicle and industry emissions provide the basis for photochemical reactions. These reactions have their own adverse effects on human health and the environment.