US EditionStudy: Ozone-Saving Chemicals Linked to 335,000 Tons of Forever Chemical Pollution
Global trifluoroacetic acid levels have risen 3.5-fold from 2000 to 2022 due to long-lived chlorofluorocarbon replacements breaking down in the atmosphere, researchers say.
- On February 4, 2026, Lancaster University researchers found replacements for CFCs and anesthetic gases deposited 335,500 tonnes of trifluoroacetic acid globally between 2000–2022.
- HFOs, promoted as climate-friendly, are linked to faster TFA formation than HCFCs, HFCs and inhalation anesthetic gases, increasing uncertainty about future TFA levels.
- Using chemical-transport modelling, the team matched TFA production to Arctic ice-cores and rainwater measurements, showing CFC replacements explain Arctic TFA and HFO-1234yf fills gaps near emissions.
- Environmental agencies note TFA is accumulating in rain, drinking water, soil and plants, and has been detected in human samples; the German Federal Office for Chemicals proposed classifying it as potentially toxic to reproduction.
- Peak annual production is projected between 2025 and 2100, and with increasing HFOs use, environmental TFA will grow while PFAS removal costs could reach €100 billion per year for Europe.
8 Articles
8 Articles
CFC replacements behind hundreds of thousands of tonnes of global ‘forever chemical’ pollution
Chemicals brought in to help protect our ozone layer have had the unintended consequences of spreading vast quantities of a potentially toxic ‘forever chemical’ around the globe, a new study shows.
CFC replacements behind vast quantities of global 'forever chemical' pollution, research reveals
Chemicals brought in to help protect our ozone layer have had the unintended consequences of spreading vast quantities of a potentially toxic "forever chemical" around the globe, a new study shows. Atmospheric scientists, led by researchers at Lancaster University, have for the first time calculated that CFC replacement chemicals and anesthetics are behind around a third of a million metric tons (335,500) of a persistent forever chemical called …
The Planet Is Being Coated in a Chemical That Never Goes Away
The chemicals that helped save the ozone layer may be quietly seeding the planet with an indestructible pollutant. Chemicals introduced to protect the ozone layer are now linked to the worldwide spread of a long-lasting and potentially harmful substance, according to new research. Scientists report that these replacements have unintentionally contributed to large-scale pollution by [...]
Growth in Production and Environmental Deposition of Trifluoroacetic Acid Due To Long-Lived CFC Replacements and Anesthetics
Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) is a persistent pollutant with potential long-term effects on the environment and on health. Recent studies using ice core records report large increases (up to tenfold) in Arctic TFA deposition since the 1970s, and trends suggest long-lived chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) replacements may be a major source. Here, we use a chemical transport model to examine the global TFA budget arising from CFC replacements–hydrochlorofluoro
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