CFCs
CFCs, short for chlorofluorocarbons, are man-made chemical compounds consisting of carbon, chlorine, and fluorine atoms, widely used in the past as refrigerants, propellants in aerosols, and foam-blowing agents. They became infamous for their destructive impact on the Earth's ozone layer, triggering global environmental regulations, and now serve as a cautionary tale in modern discussions about sustainable chemistry and climate policy.
Did you know?
The hole in the Earth's ozone layer over Antarctica, largely caused by CFCs, was first detected in 1985 by British scientists using satellite data, and it can be as large as three times the size of the United States at its peak. This discovery led to the swift global response with the Montreal Protocol of 1987, which has successfully reduced CFC levels by over 99% worldwide, potentially preventing millions of skin cancer cases.
Your Usage Frequency
1 / 721