Reduce and reduce the amount of atmospheric bromide

2003/11/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Ingurumena

According to Geophysical Research Letters, there are fewer and fewer ozone bromides in the atmosphere. According to a study conducted between 1995 and 2002, the largest amount was concentrated in 1998, decreasing by 5% in four years.

However, scientists still do not know whether human consumption is due to decline or has occurred naturally. In fact, oceans and wetlands are natural sources of bromide. But man also emits bromide to the atmosphere, mainly due to the methyl bromide used in agriculture. Therefore, in the late 1980s, the Montreal Protocol was signed, which regulated methyl bromide used in agriculture. Although these measures were expected to reduce the number of bromides, the decline has been much higher than expected.

Knowing the amount of bromide in the atmosphere is important because it destroys ozone, and although it is less than chloride, it is 50 times more efficient in ozone destruction.