Legal industrial chemicals are delaying the recovery of the ozone layer, with emissions three to four times higher than previously assumed, according to a recent study.
Study finds exempted chemicals leak more than reported
The research, led by atmospheric scientist Stefan Reimann of Empa, shows that between three and four percent of ozone-depleting substances used as industrial feedstocks escape during production, transport and processing — far above the 0.5 percent leak rate claimed when exemptions were granted.
Current production volumes exceed 1990s estimates
<!– wp:paragraph >Reimann said the quantities of these chemicals now being produced are significantly higher than projections made three decades ago, undermining the original justification for allowing their continued use under the Montreal Protocol.
/wp:paragraph –>Feedstock exceptions under review as emissions rise
For more on this story, see Legal industrial emissions of ozone-depleting chemicals slow ozone hole recovery by six to eight times official estimates.
The study challenges the assumption that industry was steadily phasing out these substances, indicating instead that ongoing use in making refrigerants and plastics is contributing more to ozone depletion than international assessments have accounted for.
/wp:paragraph –>What chemicals are involved in the feedstock exemptions?
<!– wp:paragraph >The exemptions apply to substances like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and carbon tetrachloride when used as raw materials in industrial processes, not as complete products, under the Montreal Protocol’s provisions for feedstock use.
/wp:paragraph –> <!– wp:heading >How much higher are actual emissions compared to earlier estimates?
/wp:paragraph –> <!– wp:paragraph >Actual emissions of these ozone-depleting feedstock chemicals are three to four percent, compared to the previously assumed leak rate of just 0.5 percent.
/wp:paragraph >–>
