Finding 9:
Elevated ultraviolet radiation levels will affect people, plants, and animals
- The stratospheric ozone layer over the Arctic is not expected to improve significantly for at least a few decades, largely due to the effect of greenhouse gases on stratospheric temperatures. Ultraviolet radiation (UV) in the Arctic is thus projected to remain elevated in the coming decades.
- As a result, the current generation of Arctic young people is likely to receive a lifetime dose of UV that is about 30% higher than any prior generation. Increased UV is known to cause skin cancer, cataracts, and immune system disorders in humans.
- Elevated UV can disrupt photosynthesis in plants and have detrimental effects on the early life stages of fish and amphibians.
- Risks to some Arctic ecosystems are likely as the largest increases in UV occur in spring, when sensitive species are most vulnerable, and warming-related declines in snow and ice cover increase exposure for living things normally protected by such cover.