Four new 'ozone layer-destructing' man-made gases found in atmosphere

A new study has found four new man-made gases in the atmosphere which are destroying the ozone layer.

The scientists at the University of East Anglia have found that more than 74,000 tonnes of three new chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) and one new hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) have been released in the atmosphere.

The researchers, who compared today's air samples with air trapped in polar firn snow air collected between 1978 and 2012 in unpolluted Tasmania, revealed that all four new gases have been recently released, while two are significantly accumulating.

Lead researcher Dr Johannes Laube from UEA's School of Environmental Sciences said that their research has shown four gases that were not around in the atmosphere at all until the 1960s which suggests they are man-made.

He said that the identification of these four new gases is very worrying as they will contribute to the destruction of the ozone layer, and their origin should be investigated.

The study was published in the journal Nature Geoscience.