Fluorinated gases can persist in the atmosphere for thousands of years

Experts state that the targets set to reduce emissions of fluorinated gases—which are among the greenhouse gases causing global warming and can persist in the atmosphere for thousands of years—are insufficient.

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Fluorinated gases can persist in the atmosphere for thousands of years

The third and final part of the news series focusing on greenhouse gases, which are less known than carbon dioxide and were accepted under the Kyoto Protocol prepared by the United Nations (UN), addresses the group of fluorinated gases.

According to data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), carbon dioxide accounts for 76 percent of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, methane for 16 percent, nitrous oxide for 6 percent, and fluorinated gases for 2 percent.

While carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide are released into the atmosphere both through natural processes and human activities, fluorinated gases—consisting of hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride—are entirely the result of human-caused activities.

The emission of hydrofluorocarbons, which are accepted as alternatives to chlorofluorocarbons—banned under the Montreal Protocol to which 198 countries are parties due to their damage to the ozone layer—generally stems from the production of products such as refrigerators and air conditioners.

Perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride, on the other hand, generally emerge as a result of leaks or disposal processes during industrial activities involving the production of aluminum and semiconductor materials.

Although their concentration in the atmosphere is lower compared to other greenhouse gases, fluorinated gases, which can remain in the atmosphere for many years, have a much higher global warming potential on a per-unit basis.

While the atmospheric lifetime of hydrofluorocarbons varies between 1 and 260 years, their impact on global warming can range from 140 to 11,700 times that of carbon dioxide.

The atmospheric lifetime of perfluorocarbons ranges from 2,500 to 50,000 years, and the impact of gases in this group on global warming can be up to 9,200 times that of carbon dioxide.

Sulfur hexafluoride, which has an average atmospheric lifetime of 740 years, has 23,900 times the impact on global warming compared to carbon dioxide.

According to the EPA, since most fluorinated gases have a very long atmospheric life, a noticeable decrease in current concentrations is not possible in the short term. On the other hand, emissions can be reduced through the development of technology, the reduction of industrial leaks, and the creation of alternative solutions to replace these gases.

CHINA IS THE LEADER IN THE EMISSION OF MANY FLUORINATED GASES

According to research led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the U.S. on data from the 1990-2019 period, focusing on the release of sulfur hexafluoride, nitrogen trifluoride, and certain perfluorocarbon gases, China is responsible for 93 percent of the emissions of these gases.

While China's fluorinated gas emissions, equivalent to 5.5 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions in 1990, rose to 221 million tons annually in 2019, the scientists who conducted the research estimate that if this trend continues, China will emit fluorinated gases equivalent to at least 506 million tons of carbon dioxide by 2060.

While the share of fluorinated gases in the total greenhouse gas emissions of the U.S. is 3 percent, this rate is calculated at 2.2 percent in the European Union (EU).

Dr. Pallav Purohit, a senior researcher at the Energy, Climate, and Environment Program of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Austria, stated that the most common fluorinated gas is hydrofluorocarbons, and the main sources of this gas are cooling and air conditioning systems, chemical solvents, fire extinguishers, and sprays.

Emphasizing that hydrofluorocarbons are very powerful greenhouse gases, Purohit noted that in this context, the Montreal Protocol aims to gradually reduce the use of these gases.

Pointing out that if these gases cannot be brought under control, cumulative hydrofluorocarbon emissions will exceed 92 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2050, Purohit said, "According to the Montreal Protocol, this figure should be 32 billion tons. Even this is far above the 16 billion tons considered necessary to limit global warming to approximately 1.5 degrees."

Mentioning that there are various global, regional, and national efforts to reduce these gases, primarily the targets set in the Montreal Protocol and regulations introduced in the EU region, Purohit stated, "However, even the current targets for reducing hydrofluorocarbon emissions are not sufficient to achieve the 1.5-degree target set by the Paris Agreement."

News Source: AA