Ozone depletion began before CFCs became widespread, study finds

New research suggests that ozone layer depletion was occurring even before chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) came into widespread industrial use. Scientists believe that with modern analytical tools, the early signs of ozone loss could have been detected as far back as the 1950s. The findings indicate that factors beyond CFCs may have contributed to ozone degradation earlier than previously understood. This challenges the conventional timeline of when human activity began significantly affecting the ozone layer.