EcoBlog

Chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, play a major role in the destruction of the ozone layer, but what are they? CFCs are highly stable compounds used as propellants in spray cans and in refrigeration units. CFCs are composed of organic compounds with carbon, fluorine, chlorine, and hydrogen and are manufactured under the trade name Freon.
Although they were developed during the 1930s, CFCs were not widely used until after World War II. Because they are non-toxic, nonflammable, non-carcinogenic, and can easily be converted from a liquid to a gas and vice versa, they were used extensively as aerosol-spray propellants, refrigerants, solvents, and foam-blowing agents.
CFCs have been found to be a serious environmental threat. In the 1970s, various scientists studied CFCs and it was discovered that CFCs released into the atmosphere accumulate in the stratosphere and have a deteriorating effect on the ozone layer. In the stratosphere, the CFC molecules break down by the action of solar ultraviolet radiation and release their chlorine atoms, which then react with the ozone molecules and results in their removal.
CFCs have an atmospheric lifespan of between 20 and 100 years. Consequently, one free chlorine atom from a CFC molecule can destroy ozone molecules for a long time. Although emissions of CFCs in the developed world have largely ceased due to control agreements, the damage to the stratospheric ozone layer will continue well into the 21 century.