By: Zofie C.
Photo from: Gallo on Getty Images
CFCs, or chlorofluorocarbons, are chemicals that were most commonly used to create aerosol sprays, refrigerants, packing foams, and as solvents. CFCs are known to deplete the ozone layer and are in large part responsible for the South Pole hole* in the ozone layer. They were phased out globally under the Montreal Protocol and have been fully banned from production since 2010, but still have an immense impact on our environment as the products that were created using CFCs continue to leak them into the atmosphere.
Graph from: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Research
The ocean has deeply felt and suffered from the effects of CFCs. A 1994 study concluded that the ocean had already absorbed 5.5 x 108 moles of CFC-11, a number that has only increased in size since then. A more recent study from 2021 has concluded that oceans, which have been responsible for absorbing much of the CFCs in the atmosphere, will begin “a “reverse flux” of CFCs from the ocean into the atmosphere” around 2075 (Alberts).
Though the hole in the ozone layer has begun repairing itself since 1980, a ‘reverse flux’ of CFCs could have a negative impact on the ozone layer, and more broadly, the atmosphere. The ozone layer is responsible for a number of aspects of comfortable human life by providing protection from harmful UV-B rays to humans, plants, and animals.
There hasn’t been enough research done on other potential repercussions of the re- emission of ozone from the ocean into the atmosphere, but a few things can be said for certain. It is critical that more research be done concerning the effects of CFC re-emission on the ocean and the planet so that the ozone layer and the earth can be protected. As was noted in the 2021 study on the ocean’s effect on CFCs, “Together with changes in ocean temperatures and circulation patterns, these effects could be important in the future for detection of global and regional sources of ODSs,”** (Wang et al.). The Montreal Protocol was a good start to protecting the ozone layer, but our oceans are still a mess.
Some possible solutions that can be implemented to protect the ozone layer are already in place. For example, the Montreal Protocol’s ban on the use of CFCs in the production of goods has helped to reduce the emission of more CFCs into the environment. Using alternatives to ODSs in newly manufactured products is a great way to preventatively protect the ozone layer. Additionally, according to an article from National Geographic, we can get rid of old CFCS through a method in which the gas is “incinerated in special kilns, breaking the molecules into a benign mixture,” (National Geographic). However, this fails to address the quantity of CFCs and other ODSs that already are present in the ocean and atmosphere. In my research, I was unable to find any method for getting rid of CFCs that are already present in the environment. Aside from preventative measures such as the incineration method listed earlier, there is apparently no other discovered way to dispose of CFCs once they have entered the atmosphere. This is certainly an area that warrants more research, as the development of a method to get rid of CFCs and ODSs even after they enter the atmosphere could immensely progress the protection of the ozone layer and our environment.
*To be precise, it is “a large area of the stratosphere with extremely low amounts of ozone,” (EPA). There isn’t actually a hole, the layer of ozone is just extremely thin in that area.
**ODS: Ozone Depleting Substances
Discussion Questions:
What do you think of the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica? Had you heard of it before? Share your thoughts and reactions.
What kind of further research do you think should be done regarding CFCs and the ocean?
Sources:
Berwald, J. (2021, May 3). One cheap way to fight climate change? Dispose of old CFCs. Environment. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/disposing-old-cfcs-refrigerants-reduces-climate-change-greenhouse-gases-cheaply#:~:text=There's%20no%20technical%20hurdle%20to,molecules%20into%20a%20benign%20mixture.
Chlorofluorocarbons (cfcs) and hydrofluorocarbons (hfcs). Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. (2019, January 11). https://www.pca.state.mn.us/air/chlorofluorocarbons-cfcs-and-hydrofluorocarbons-hfcs.
Oceans helped absorb OUR CFCs. they're now going to emit them back out. Mongabay Environmental News. (2021, March 22). https://news.mongabay.com/2021/03/oceans-helped-absorb-our-cfcs-theyre-now-going-to-emit-them-back-out/.
Stein, T. (2021, February 12). Emissions of a banned ozone-depleting gas are back on the decline. Welcome to NOAA Research. https://research.noaa.gov/article/ArtMID/587/ArticleID/2713/Emissions-of-a-banned-ozone-depleting-gas-are-back-on-the-decline#:~:text=Once%20widely%20used%20in%20the,appliances%20manufactured%20before%20that%20year.
U.S. Department of State. (2021, January 5). The Montreal protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer - United States Department of state. U.S. Department of State. https://www.state.gov/key-topics-office-of-environmental-quality-and-transboundary-issues/the-montreal-protocol-on-substances-that-deplete-the-ozone-layer/.
US Department of Commerce, N. O. A. A. (2005, October 1). NOAA global Monitoring Laboratory - halocarbons and other Atmospheric TRACE SPECIES. GML. https://gml.noaa.gov/hats/publictn/elkins/cfcs.html.
Wang, P., Scott, J. R., Solomon, S., Marshall, J., Babbin, A. R., Lickley, M., Thompson, D. W. J., DeVries, T., Liang, Q., & Prinn, R. G. (2021, March 23). On the effects of the ocean on atmospheric cfc-11 lifetimes and emissions. PNAS. https://www.pnas.org/content/118/12/e2021528118#sec-1.
Willey, D. A., Fine, R. A., Sonnerup, R. E., Bullister, J. L., Smethie, W. M., & Warner, M. J. (2004). Global oceanic chlorofluorocarbon inventory. GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS.