Why are hcfcs better than cfcs

That nameplate tell you, among other data, the type of refrigerant your unit uses. Recall that in my previous post, I mentioned that the first generation refrigerants, including ammonia, propane, and sulphur dioxide, were toxic and flammable. CFC-R12 Freon was widely used in refrigerators, inhalers, and aerosol spray cans.

CFCs were not widely used in air conditioning systems, but are worth talking about here to understand their effect on the environment. Exposure to increased UV radiation has caused an increase in skin cancer and cataracts, damaged crops, and affected the foundation of the ocean food chain by damaging phytoplankton. When CFCs, which are made of chlorine, fluorine, and carbon, break down over time due to exposure to UV radiation, they release chlorine atoms which react with the ozone molecule to destroy it.

One chlorine atom can destroy , ozone molecules! CFCs are responsible for the big hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica discovered in Greenhouse gases act like an insulating blanket over the earth, trapping heat instead of letting it escape into space.

Even when present in very low atmospheric concentrations, they cause a great deal of damage because they have a very long lifetime before breaking down in the atmosphere. Only with continued monitoring of Cl, Br, aerosols, and temperatures will we be able to answer the questions:. Stephen A. Montzka ; phone: Data Viewer. What are HCFCs? What are HFCs? What are Halons? Air How's the air? Ozone depletion Man-made compounds such as chlorofluorocarbons CFCs , hydrofluorocarbons HCFCs and halons destroy ozone in the upper atmosphere stratosphere.

Stratospheric ozone loss can result in potential harm to human health and the environment, including: increased incidence of skin cancer and cataracts immune system system damage damage to terrestrial and aquatic plant life increased formation of ground-level ozone smog Most stratospheric ozone depletion is caused when chlorine or bromine reacts with ozone.

Climate change While acting to destroy ozone, CFCs and HCFCs also act to trap heat in the lower atmosphere, causing the earth to warm and climate and weather to change. Some effects of global climate change include: Rising sea levels Local natural species extinctions and habitat loss More frequent heavy rainfall and flooding High heat stress in summer Increasing health risk from insect and water-borne diseases The production of CFCs in the United Stated or their import was prohibited as of January 1, Putting things another way, the CFC ban has prevented the equivalent of 10 billion tonnes of CO 2 being emitted into the atmosphere in , five times the annual reduction target set by the Kyoto Protocol.

In their article they state that "the HFC contribution to climate change can be viewed as an unintended negative side effect" of the Montreal Protocol. At the moment the effect is still small -- about 0. But it is beyond question that radiative forcing due to HFCs will rise significantly in future as a result of increasing demand and production for these substances, above all in threshold and developing countries.

The atmospheric scientists estimate that this value will rise to between 0. The greatest problem is presented by saturated HFCs, which are extremely stable and survive in the atmosphere for up to 50 years, exhibiting a long-term global warming potential of up to times higher than CO 2. Among other things, the scientists recommend modifying the Montreal protocol so that it also covers the use of long-lived HFCs.

Such proposals have already been tabled in previous years by various countries including the USA. A stepwise phase-out of HFCs is technically feasible since, according to Reimann, chemical and technological alternatives are already available.

In the USA for example refrigerators are cooled using HFCa; in Switzerland the use of this substance in refrigerators is banned and climate neutral hydrocarbons are used instead.

Materials provided by Empa. Note: Content may be edited for style and length. Science News. International environmental agreements can also have unwanted side effects The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is covered by the Kyoto Protocol.