[Total atmospheric ozone column above the territory of Serbia and Montenegro]

Atmospheric ozone attenuates ultraviolet radiation reaching the Earth's surface. Since UV-B radiation is considered the principal factor of causing the skin cancers, cataracts and some immunological disorders, determination of total ozone column has become everyday practice. In Serbia and Montenegro, such determinations are not being done. Satellite data for the entire globe are accessible.

The objective of our work was to collect and analyze data for the territory of Serbia and Montenegro, because ozone is an important parameter for the study of effects and protection from UV radiation.

Data collected during TOMS (Total Ozone Measuring Spectrometer) experiment are presented for grid whose elements are 1 degrees latitude by 1.25 degrees longitude. Grid elements in which the territory of Serbia and Montenegro comprises more than 50% of the element area were taken to represent the territory of Serbia and Montenegro. Eleven grid elements were selected and average monthly values for 272 months in the period from 1978 until 2004 were collected. Data for the period between 1993 and 1996 were unavailable.

Mean values of total ozone column and mean monthly values of eleven grid elements differed very little. Differences were smaller than magnitudes of random error. Average annual values of total ozone column above the territory of Serbia and Montenegro were in the range from 316 Dobson units (DU) in 2002 to 347 DU in 1981. Annual cyclic changes of total ozone column showed spring maxima and autumn minima. Maximal recorded monthly value was 421 DU in March 1987 and minimal monthly value was 271 DU in October 2001. There was a trend of decreasing total ozone column values in the period between 1979 and 1992 at the rate of approximately 4.5% per decade.

Mean total ozone column value above the territory of Serbia and Montenegro can represent total ozone column for the whole territory. Annual cycles with spring maxima and autumn minima are in accordance with oscillations observed for middle northern latitudes. The trend showing 4.5% decrease per decade in the period between 1979 and 1992 corresponds well to trends calculated for comparable locations.