International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer

Welcome to a new Shibumi post! Today, we will be talking about the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, whose celebration is on September 16. Since Shibumi is an ecological clothing brand, we thought it would be wise to talk to you about this exciting topic that affects us all equally. If you are interested in ecology, you cannot miss this publication where we will explain what ozone is, its dangers, preventive measures and this year's celebration.

What is ozone?

Ozone is described as a substance whose molecule is composed of three oxygen atoms and formed by dissociating the atoms that make up the gas. Each released oxygen atom bonds with another gaseous oxygen molecule, forming ozone molecules.

Ozone is a gas found in the air we breathe, providing benefits but also can be dangerous to health in high concentrations. In the earth's ozone layer, as its name suggests, we can find beneficial ozone, since it protects us from radiation from outer space. However, if ozone accumulates in other layers of the atmosphere or at ground level, it is considered a dangerous pollutant.

Ozone Hazards

The World Health Organization (WHO) 2005 established that when the concentration of ozone in the air that is breathed is higher than 240 µg/m3 and this is maintained for more than eight hours, there is a risk to health: it considerably reduces lung function, inflames the airways and exacerbates asthma, in addition to promoting respiratory infections. Ozone also carries severe ecological and economic impacts. Vegetation can be damaged and crop yields reduced.

In Sanitas, they affirm that despite the figure imposed by the WHO as a safety limit (240 µg/m3), the reality is that sensitivity to ozone varies depending on the person and there are several factors and risk groups that must take precautions when the presence of ozone is greater than 180 µg/m3. These groups and factors are the following:

Personal factors:

Elderly and child population groups.
Chronic respiratory diseases, asthma, COPD, emphysema…
Cardiovascular diseases.
People who perform physical activities outdoors.

The effects of ozone on health depend on the time of exposure to it:

Premature ageing of the lungs.
Impaired lung function.
Irritation of the eyes, nose and throat.
Cough.
asthma attacks
Headaches.
Alteration of the immune system

Environmental, labour or social factors:

Excessive outdoor activity for work or leisure reasons.
Continuous exposure over time to high concentrations of ozone.

Local factors:

Demography determines the composition of the population pyramid, and therefore, the importance of susceptible groups.
Climatology, the frequency of appearance of heat waves that favour the formation of tropospheric ozone.

Preventive measures for ozone

In the electronic headquarters of the General Administration of La Rioja they name several prevention measures to reduce pollution and, thus, maintain the ozone layer:

Save energy.
Carry out regular vehicle maintenance and maintain tire pressure at normal usage levels.
Avoid trips with the vehicle that are unnecessary and can be done through public transport.
Fill the fuel tank after sunset.
Use public transport or non-polluting means.
Use paints and cleaning products without organic solvents.
Stabilize the air conditioner at a temperature above 25ºC.

International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer

The UN General Assembly proclaims every September 16 International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, in order to protect and save the ozone layer that is being destroyed by global warming.

This 2022 marks 35 years since the adoption of the Montreal Protocol. This protocol was one of the most successful environmental agreements. In it, it was shown that cooperation is the best way to achieve real and notable progress in the environment. Currently, the ozone layer recovers little by little allowing it to protect the life of the planet.

We appreciate one more day that you have accompanied us in this new publication. This week we published the post on Thursday because we were recovering from LOONA’s concert in Paris. But, see you next week with more interesting posts and with normal hours. Good weekend!