Chlorofluorocarbons
CFC is short for chlorofluorcarbon, a man-made chemical made up of carbon, chlorine and fluorine atoms. There are many different types of CFCs. They were first developed in the 1930s, and since then have been widely used in refrigerators, aerosol cans and fire extinguishers. Man-made CFCs have been the main cause of ozone depletion high up in the atmosphere. One CFC molecule can destroy up to 100,000 ozone molecules. To date, they have accounted for roughly 80% of the total ozone depletion that has been observed. Other man-made chemicals like halons have accounted for the rest. Fortunately, the use of new CFCs has been banned since 1995.
| Uses of CFCs |
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