Holistic Impact of Refrigerants
Comprehensive literature review on the environmental and health impacts of HFC and HFC-alternative degradation productsThe publication is currently under development and will be available for viewing on this page at a later date. Subscribe to our newsletter for updates.
About the Research
To inform policy and regulatory decisions on supporting a transition away from high-global warming potential (GWP) hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants to low- and ultra-low-GWP alternatives (GWP <10), CARB requires a more comprehensive understanding of the latest scientific research on the environmental and health impacts associated with the emissions of HFCs and their synthetic alternatives, with an emphasis on their atmospheric degradation products.
These white papers are based on an extensive review of existing scientific literature and discuss the environmental and health effects of HFCs and the degradation products of their synthetic alternatives. The review highlights key aspects, including persistence, bioaccumulation, biodegradation, toxicity, and GWP.
About the Authors
Two organizations were selected through a competitive solicitation process to conduct this literature review and white paper:
The Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (crcCARE) was established in 2005 as part of the Australian Government’s Cooperative Research Centres Program. crcCARE has a range of industry, research, and government partners, with their registered office located at the University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales. crcCARE’s innovative research is divided into four complementary programs including: understanding emerging chemicals; preventing pollution, avoiding landfill and recovery resources; next-generation clean-up technologies; and new paradigms for managing risk.
Öko-Recherche is an independent environmental research institute and consultancy located in Frankfurt/Main, Germany. Öko-Recherche was founded in 1995 and has worked on environmental protection, chemical safety, and climate protection at national and international levels. Öko-Recherche also has specialists focused on fluorochlorinated and fluorinated substances in various applications, their replacements, and emission reductions.
Background
HFCs and their alternatives are primarily used as refrigerants with additional applications in foam blowing agents, aerosol propellants, fire suppressants, and solvents. Ultra-low-GWP alternatives include natural substances like ammonia, carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, and synthetic options like hydrochlorofluoroethers (HCFE), hydrochlorofluoroolefins (HCFO), and hydrofluoroolefins (HFO).
Synthetic substances are the preferred ultra-low-GWP alternative in certain sectors and applications. For example, HFO-1234yf is the standard in motor vehicle air conditioning. However, emissions from HFCs and their synthetic alternatives can create persistent, potentially harmful byproducts, such as trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and other high-GWP greenhouse gases.