Is the ozone layer worse in Australia?
More about ozone layer depletion The ozone layer is depleted in two ways. This includes a five to nine per cent depletion over Australia since the 1960s, which has increased the risk that Australians already face from over-exposure to UV radiation resulting from our outdoor lifestyle.
How do holes in the ozone layer affect the skin cancer rates in Australia?
Ultraviolet radiation in Australia This happens especially near the North and South Poles. As the ozone layer depletes, the atmosphere loses its protective filter and more of the dangerous UV radiation reaches the surface of our planet. This depletion is directly related to the growing number of skin cancer cases.
Does the ozone layer cause cancer?
Ozone layer depletion increases the amount of UVB that reaches the Earth’s surface. Laboratory and epidemiological studies demonstrate that UVB causes non-melanoma skin cancer and plays a major role in malignant melanoma development.
Why does Australia have so much skin cancer hint it’s not because of an ozone hole?
Stratospheric ozone does reduce the amount of UV reaching the Earth’s surface. In reality, ozone depletion has made no appreciable difference to skin cancer rates in Australia and New Zealand. The quantum of additional UV exposure was modest – and at a time of year when most skin was covered so as to stay warm.
Why are cancer rates so high in Australia?
Cancer was the leading cause of disease burden in Australia in 2011 (1), which continues to rise due to the growth and ageing of the population along with some concurrent lifestyle behaviours associated with increased cancer risk (2).
Why is the skin cancer rate so high in Australia?
Causes of skin cancer Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. Anyone can be at risk of developing skin cancer, though the risk increases as you get older. The majority of skin cancers in Australia are caused by exposure to UV radiation in sunlight.
Which country has no ozone layer?
Antarctica
Antarctica, where ozone depletion has been most severe due to very low temperatures is expected to recover much more slowly. It’s projected that Antarctic ozone concentrations will only begin to approach 1960 levels by the end of the century.
How did we fix the ozone hole?
Fixing the ozone hole is a matter of ensuring that no ozone-depleting gases reach the stratosphere. In 1987, the United Nations established the Montreal Protocol to regulate the quantities of these gases in the atmosphere.
How big is the ozone hole today?
On September 20, 2020, the annual ozone hole reached its peak area at 24.8 million square kilometers (9.6 million square miles), roughly three times the size of the continental United States.
What is the biggest cancer killer in Australia?
Lung cancer was the most deadly, accounting for close to one in five years of life lost. Bowel and breast cancer accounted for another 19.1 per cent of the fatal cancer burden, followed by pancreatic (5.6 per cent) and prostate cancers (5.1 per cent).