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What are CFCs and where do they come from?
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are anthropogenic compounds that have been released into the atmosphere since the 1930s in various applications such as in air-conditioning, refrigeration, blowing agents in foams, insulations and packing materials, propellants in aerosol cans, and as solvents.
What are natural sources of CFCs?
CFCs have no significant natural sources. They were first manufactured in the 1930s, and industries soon found a wide variety of applications for them due to their chemical unreactivity and heat-absorbing properties.
How does CFC get into the atmosphere?
CFCs reach the stratosphere because the Earth’s atmosphere is always in motion and mixes the chemicals added into it. This is because winds and other air motions mix the atmosphere to altitudes far above the top of the stratosphere much faster than molecules can settle according to their weight.
What are CFCs found in?
Yes, they are. Most refrigerants found in air conditioners, refrigerators, and freezers contain fluorocarbons, and many fluorocarbon compounds contain chlorine. Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerants were commonly used in equipment manufactured before 1995.
How long does CFC stay in the atmosphere?
The environmental concern for CFCs follows from their long atmospheric lifetime (55 years for CFC-11 and 140 years for CFC-12, CCl2F2)9 which limits our ability to reduce their abundance in the atmosphere and associated future ozone loss.
How are CFCs harmful when released into the atmosphere?
CFCs are particularly harmful when released into the atmosphere because of their destructive reaction with O-zone particles, which provide the Earth with a protective layer against UV radiation.
What are the most common sources of CFCs?
TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read) The most common source of CFCs are refrigerants, but fire suppression systems for aircraft and aerosols also emit CFCs into the atmosphere.
How are CFCs broken down to produce chlorine?
CFCs break down to produce chlorine. Scientists can recreate the intense solar radiation found in the upper atmosphere in their labs. Shining this lab-made solar radiation on CFCs and then looking for chlorine would provide evidence either for or against this idea. Chlorine atoms destroy ozone.
Why are chlorofluorocarbons harmful to the environment?
By Tommy Doc. Chlorofluorocarbons, also known as CFCs, consist of chemical compounds made up of chlorine, fluorine and carbon. CFCs are particularly harmful when released into the atmosphere because of their destructive reaction with O-zone particles, which provide the Earth with a protective layer against UV radiation.