Ozone Layer Depletion and the Montreal Protocol: An Assessment of Nigeria’s Compliance

Abstract

Ozone is a greenhouse gas which absorbs the sun’s harmful ultraviolet light that can cause skin-cancer, weaken the immune system, damage plants and marine creatures from entering the earth’s atmosphere. The ozone layer is a layer in earth’s atmosphere which contains relatively high concentrations of ozone. This layer absorbs 97-99% of the sun’s high frequency ultraviolet light, which is potentially damaging to life on earth. The Ozone layer is threatened by a range of chemicals usually referred to as Ozone depleting substances (ODS) which destroys the Ozone layer through a series of chemical reactions. These chemicals, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), methylbromide etc are released into the atmosphere owing to various activities caused by man such as the use of refrigerants (which release CDCs) and insecticides.