Have you ever felt that the weather is getting warmer over the years? Have you ever been in a situation where you are enjoying a very sunny day and all of a sudden you are forced to look for shelter because of the sudden drizzle or downpour? Have you ever thought what caused all of these changes to our climate? Remember a time when you actually stopped to question the origins of these sprouting anomalies around you. Can you think of such a moment? All of these situations are becoming more common as each year passes by and we can only trace the cause back to humans’ incessant use of the flawed hydrofluorocarbons. These are compounds that save the ozone layer, yet greatly contribute to the anomalistic increase of our global climate.
The anomalies …show more content…
These compounds lack chlorine in their molecule and because of this trait, the hydrofluorocarbons are considered better than CFCs and PFCs as they have no ozone-depleting property.1 This is further supported by the article Ozone Depletion by Hydrofluorocarbons which states, “These [CFCs] compounds contain chlorine and /or bromine and when broken down in the stratosphere, the Cl and Br atoms deplete ozone via catalytic loss cycles… In contrast, since HFCs do not contain chlorine or bromine, their estimated direct chemical potential to deplete ozone via catalytic loss cycles that involve fluorine has been shown to be extremely small.”2 Hydrofluorocarbons also possess other traits that made researchers and environmental agencies to first identify these compounds as the ideal replacement for CFCs and PCFs. The hydrogen atom(s) in hydrofluorocarbons assist in the reduction of the compound’s atmospheric life to only the range of 8-20 years.1 The atmospheric duration of these compounds are much smaller compared to perfluorinated compounds which last as long as 3,200 years in the atmosphere.1 Another characteristic that set HFCs apart is its very low hydroxyl ion reactivity in the lower atmosphere, which makes it incapable of creating smog or air pollution.1 The low hydroxyl ion reactivity can be contributed to the great amount of fluorine atoms that HFCs possess. It also leads to other …show more content…
The problem of ozone depletion is replaced by the alarming dilemma concerning global warming and climate change. Hydrofluorocarbons’ high global warming potential (GWP) raises multiple concerns as it is discovered that the GWP of HFCs is 1,000 to 3,000 times bigger than of CO2.3 Global warming potential is defined as the “numerical qualification of an individual chemical substance’s contribution to global warming in comparison to that of carbon dioxide.”3 Despite having lower global warming potential than its predecessors, hydrofluorocarbons are still potent enough to be labelled as threatening greenhouse gases. Among all the HFCs, HFC-23 has the highest GWP making it the most potent greenhouse gas in the HFC family .3 M. Trevino of the Encyclopedia of Global Warming and Climate Change states that, “HFC emissions released into the environment are entirely anthropogenic as there are no natural sources of HFC emissions. HFC emissions can occur at several stages, including fluid and product manufacturing, product use, and product disposal. Most HFC emissions occur at the source of application. HFC emissions can also be produced during the manufacture of other chemical substances.”3 This points out that the origin of the threat of global warming and climate change can be directed back to us and our excessive use of HFCs in our daily lives. According to Atmospheric Environment by Guus J.M. Velders, “In the
The anomalies …show more content…
These compounds lack chlorine in their molecule and because of this trait, the hydrofluorocarbons are considered better than CFCs and PFCs as they have no ozone-depleting property.1 This is further supported by the article Ozone Depletion by Hydrofluorocarbons which states, “These [CFCs] compounds contain chlorine and /or bromine and when broken down in the stratosphere, the Cl and Br atoms deplete ozone via catalytic loss cycles… In contrast, since HFCs do not contain chlorine or bromine, their estimated direct chemical potential to deplete ozone via catalytic loss cycles that involve fluorine has been shown to be extremely small.”2 Hydrofluorocarbons also possess other traits that made researchers and environmental agencies to first identify these compounds as the ideal replacement for CFCs and PCFs. The hydrogen atom(s) in hydrofluorocarbons assist in the reduction of the compound’s atmospheric life to only the range of 8-20 years.1 The atmospheric duration of these compounds are much smaller compared to perfluorinated compounds which last as long as 3,200 years in the atmosphere.1 Another characteristic that set HFCs apart is its very low hydroxyl ion reactivity in the lower atmosphere, which makes it incapable of creating smog or air pollution.1 The low hydroxyl ion reactivity can be contributed to the great amount of fluorine atoms that HFCs possess. It also leads to other …show more content…
The problem of ozone depletion is replaced by the alarming dilemma concerning global warming and climate change. Hydrofluorocarbons’ high global warming potential (GWP) raises multiple concerns as it is discovered that the GWP of HFCs is 1,000 to 3,000 times bigger than of CO2.3 Global warming potential is defined as the “numerical qualification of an individual chemical substance’s contribution to global warming in comparison to that of carbon dioxide.”3 Despite having lower global warming potential than its predecessors, hydrofluorocarbons are still potent enough to be labelled as threatening greenhouse gases. Among all the HFCs, HFC-23 has the highest GWP making it the most potent greenhouse gas in the HFC family .3 M. Trevino of the Encyclopedia of Global Warming and Climate Change states that, “HFC emissions released into the environment are entirely anthropogenic as there are no natural sources of HFC emissions. HFC emissions can occur at several stages, including fluid and product manufacturing, product use, and product disposal. Most HFC emissions occur at the source of application. HFC emissions can also be produced during the manufacture of other chemical substances.”3 This points out that the origin of the threat of global warming and climate change can be directed back to us and our excessive use of HFCs in our daily lives. According to Atmospheric Environment by Guus J.M. Velders, “In the