According to new research, chemicals once introduced to protect the ozone layer are now spreading a long-lasting pollutant across the planet, raising concerns about an environmental problem that may be impossible to reverse.
The pollutant is trifluoroacetic acid, or TFA, a member of the ‘forever chemicals’ family because it does not naturally break down. Scientists have discovered that TFA is being created in the atmosphere when commonly used industrial gases degrade, then falling back to Earth through rain, snow and dust.
In a study published in Geophysical Research Letters, researchers led by Lancaster University estimate that between 2000 and 2022, around 335,500 tonnes of TFA were deposited worldwide. The chemical has been found in rivers, soils, rainfall, and ancient Arctic ice, far from where the gases that create it were released.
Ironically, many of the chemicals responsible were introduced as safer alternatives to chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which were banned under the Montreal Protocol for damaging the ozone layer. Their replacements – HCFCs and HFCs – are widely used in refrigeration, air conditioning and medical anesthetics.
Although these replacement chemicals are now being phased out under international agreements, the study warns that the problem is far from over. Many of these gases can remain in the atmosphere for decades, meaning they continue producing TFA long after their use declines. Researchers say annual TFA production could peak anytime between 2025 and the end of the century.
Lead author Lucy Hart, a doctoral researcher at Lancaster University said: ‘TFA is extremely persistent. Once it enters the environment, it essentially stays there.
‘Our study shows that CFC replacements are likely to be the dominant atmospheric source of TFA. This really highlights the broader risks that need to be considered by regulation when substituting harmful chemicals such as ozone-depleting CFCs.’
Scientists are still studying the full health impacts of TFA, but The European Chemicals Agency classifies it as harmful to aquatic life and it has been detected in human blood and urine. German regulators have proposed labeling it as potentially harmful to human reproduction.
Newer refrigerants marketed as climate-friendly alternatives may add to future uncertainty. One such compound, commonly used in car air conditioners, is already emerging as a significant new source of TFA.
Professor Ryan Hossaini of Lancaster University and co-author of the study said: ‘There is a need to address environmental TFA pollution because it is widespread, highly persistent, and levels are increasing.’
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