Ozone depletion: implications for the veterinarian

Abstract

Man has inadvertently modified the stratosphere. There is a good possibility that the ozone layer is being depleted by the use of jet aircraft (SST), chlorofluoromethane propellants, and nitrogen fertilizers. Under unpolluted conditions, the production of ozone equals its destruction. By man's intervention, however, the destruction may exceed the production. The potential outcome is increased intensity of solar ultraviolet (280-400 nm) radiation and penetration to the earth's surface of previously absorbed wavelengths below about 280 nm. The increased ultraviolet radiation would increase the likelihood of skin cancer in man and ocular squamous cell carcinoma in cattle. The climate also might be modified, possibly in an undesirable way.