The Montreal Protocol was an agreement by governments across the globe to phase out and eventually ban the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). CFCs were commonly found in aerosol propellants, refrigerants, air conditioning and fire extinguishers, amongst other products. CFCs were known to be a major factor in the thinning ozone layer.
CFCs at this point in time are not in use across the globe, or at least they should not be. According to a recent study of CFCs in the atmosphere, CFCs may in fact still be in use in one or more places in the world. The study, performed by United Kingdom and German scientists, was recently published in the journal Science.
The scientists sampled the atmosphere at 115,000 feet. Through use of mass spectrometers, the scientists were able to determine the specific types of chlorine atoms in the atmosphere. They encountered multiple different isotopes of CFC-12. This particular CFC was used in refrigerators and air conditioning. Scientists believe that the presence of such CFCs is causing the ozone to not heal as quickly as estimated prior.
The scientists will be using available techniques in order to determine the exact origin of the CFCs. Through various methods, the scientists will be able to pinpoint different isotopes and manufacturing methods which produced them. This will level the field when it comes to determining where in the world these CFCs are either being used or still produced.
The scientists have not yet determined the origin of the CFCs, however, some ideas have been tossed around. CFCs potentially could be seeping from waste sites containing old CFCs, which could be a major issue. Another consideration is the use of black-market CFCs, which are available in certain areas of the world. Regardless of the source, the scientists are hopeful they will be able to determine it and lead to the discontinuing CFC emissions so the ozone layer can heal.
