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Ozone layer under threat again as mysterious Asian source begins making CFCs

It’s still not clear who is making the chemicals (Picture Getty)
It’s still not clear who is making the chemicals (Picture Getty)

A mysterious new source of a banned ozone-destroying chemical in east Asia could set back efforts to repair the ozone layer by 10 years.

The chemical, CFC-11, has been banned under the Montreal protocol – and since 2007, there has been zero production.

But scientists spotted a sharp rise in the damaging chemical, which could once again threaten the ozone layer which protects life on Earth from damaging UV rays.

CFC chemicals were used in making foams, and in aerosols and refrigerators before being banned in 1987.

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Stephen Montzka, at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Colorado said, ‘I have been doing this for 27 years and this is the most surprising thing I’ve ever seen. I was just shocked by it.’

‘We are acting as detectives of the atmosphere, trying to understand what is happening and why, When things go awry, we raise a flag.’

The scientists at first thought that the chemical was being produced as a byproduct – but levels are too high for that.

Erik Solheim, head of UN Environment, said: ‘If these emissions continue unabated, they have the potential to slow down the recovery of the ozone layer. It’s therefore critical that we identify the precise causes of these emissions and take the necessary action’