About Aerosols
Do Aerosols contain CFCs? (Chlorofluorocarbons)
Download the 'Do Aerosols contain CFCs?' fact sheet here
Do Aerosols contain CFCs?
No, the UK aerosol industry stopped using CFCs in its products in 1989, although many products had moved away from CFCs before this date. CFCs have been banned in the UK since 2000.
Did any other products contain CFCs?
Because CFCs were non-flammable and chemically stable they were used in many products including rigid and flexible foams, refrigerators, air conditioning units and as solvents in the electronics industry.
What is the Montreal Protocol?
The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was signed on 16 September 1987 and entered into force on 1 January 1989. Signatories agreed to phase out the use of CFCs. This protocol has now been signed by nearly every country in the world. In the UK the aerosol industry acted many years before the European Union banned the use of CFCs.
What is the ‘hole’ in the ozone layer and what caused it?
First noticed over the Antarctic during later winter/early spring of 1978, the word ‘hole’ is used to describe a periodic thinning of the ozone layer by over 50%. This lasts about 2 months then normal levels are restored. A less marked and seasonal reduction was also recorded in the Northern hemisphere. Natural events, such as volcanic eruptions are significant contributors to the thinning, as are man-made chemicals such as the CFC family and bromine.
Do aerosols still contain ozone depleting substances?
No, CFCs were replaced with a liquefied gas usually a butane / propane mix, gases which would otherwise be burned off as part of the oil industry’s manufacturing process. Some aerosols can also be propelled by compressed gas (carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, nitrogen and air).
The ozone layer protects earth from harmful rays from the sun.
