The article First prosecution in the US for trafficking greenhouse gases from author Rebecca Trager in the Chemistry World news website explains that a California man has been arrested and charged with smuggling greenhouse gases into the US from Mexico and selling them. This is the first time that the DOJ has prosecuted anybody for this type of crime. The article is backed by a source of Indigo Molecular Images, the Science Photo Library, and DOJ records, which are backed by scientific and medical experts.
The article describes a man by the name of Micheal Heart, who was charged for importing hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) which are commonly used as refrigerants. The chemical HCFC-22 (left) and HFCs were important to the California man, and it is described as a potent ozone-depleting gas that can destroy ozone (right) in the stratosphere. Ozone depletion is said to cause increased amounts of UV radiation, which can lead to skin cancer.
The article then describes that there is a global warming potential in HFC which can be hundreds to thousands times that of carbon dioxide. It also describes that HCFC-22, which is commonly used as a propellant and refrigerant was phased out in developed countries under the Montreal Protocol because of its ozone-depleting properties. The article mentions no substitutes for the chemical, but the European Union states that hydrocarbons and ammonia are safe and energy-efficient alternatives to HFCs.
Green-house gases are being phased out in modern countries. The effects of these chemicals are Ozone-depleting and can cause significant risk to life and health. HFCs used in refrigeration and air conditioning were once very popular, but their global warming potency has caused them to be phased out. Now, people are being prosecuted for smuggling these potent gases across the border. This shows the importance of these chemical compounds, and how they are useful in utilities, but detrimental to the Earth's atmosphere.
Sources:
https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/first-prosecution-in-the-us-for-trafficking-greenhouse-gases/4019110.article
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/san-diego-man-first-nation-be-charged-smuggling-potent-greenhouse-gases-united-states
https://www.tn.gov/health/cedep/environmental/environmental-health-topics/eht/ozone.html#:~:text=Ozone%20depletion%20can%20cause%20increased,fatal%20of%20all%20skin%20cancers.
This is an interesting topic. The double hazard of HFCs makes them of particular concern. They not only contribute to stratospheric ozone depletion, but they have a very high GWP. They replaced CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) which were even worse because they had a longer lifetime in the atmosphere. The C-H bonds in HFCs are somewhat more reactive than the bonds in CFCs and hence the HFCs decompose in the atmosphere sooner than HFCs. The fact that this is the first prosecution actually suggests that the elimination of HFCs has been quite successful. A new generation of refrigerants like HFOs (hydro-fluoro-olefins) are more reactive (HFOs have a double bond) and have a lifetime in the atmosphere of days rather than decades.
ReplyDeleteThe title mentioning "prosecution" will stimulate interest. Crime stories always get an audience. The lede paragraph appropriately identifies the source, but could more effectively start with the crime. The graphics could use captions. The second figure is not described in the text or made relevant. I have corrected several typos.
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