Contribution of Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and Hydrofluoro-Olefins (HFOs) Atmospheric Breakdown Products to Acidification (“Acid Rain”) in the EU at Present and in the Future
While hydrogen fluoride (HF) and hydrogen chloride (HCl) are not considered main air-pollutants in the EU, they have the potential to contribute to acidification. Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), hydrofluoro-olefins (HFOs) and hydrochlorofluoro-olefins (HCFOs) are used as refrigerants and for other applications. They break down in the atmosphere to produce HF and HCl (for HCFOs) and some of these fluorocarbons also break down to produce trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). For the emissions of these fluorocarbons in the EU, a worst-case scenario estimates their theoretical potential contribution to acidification and compares it to the acidification potential for the main air pollutants contributing to acidification, which are nitrous oxides (NOx), sulphur oxides (mainly SO2), and ammonia (NH3). The Acidification Potential from these fluorocarbons in 2016 is estimated at <0.5% of the total due to SO2, NOx, NH3, and it can be concluded that this is insignificant in the context of the main acidification air-pollutants. Assuming that the EU targets for emissions of SO2, NOx and NH3 by 2030 are achieved, the Acidification Potential from HFCs, HFOs and HCFOs in 2030 is also estimated at <0.5% of the total due to SO2, NOx, NH3 and will remain insignificant.
References
[1]
[1] Stranddorf, H.K., Hoffmann, L. and Schmidt, A. (2005) Update on Impact Categories, Normalisation and Weighting in LCA-Selected EDIP97-Data FORCE Technology Environmental Project Nr. 995 Miljøprojekt.
[2]
Hauschild, M. and Wenzel, H. (1998) Acidification as a Criterion in the Environmental Assessment of Products. In: Hauschild, M. and Wenzel, H., Eds., Environmental Assessment of Products, Volume 2 Scientific background, Chapman & Hall, London.
[3]
European Environment Agency (EEA) (2019) The Air Pollutant Emissions Data Viewer (LRTAP Convention) Provides Access to the Data Contained in the EU Emission Inventory Report 1990-2016 under the UNECE Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP) https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/dashboards/air-pollutant-emissions-data-viewer-2
[4]
EEA (2018) Air Quality in Europe—2018 European Environment Agency (EEA) Report.
[5]
European Environment Agency (EEA) (2018) EU progress in Meeting 2010 Emission Ceilings Set out in the NEC Directive and the 2020/2030 Reduction Commitments. https://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/air/national-emission-ceilings/nec-directive-reporting-status-2018
[6]
CEFIC (2016) (H)(C)FC and HFO Nomenclature-Basic Principles. https://www.fluorocarbons.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/EFCTC_Learn_about_HCFC_HFC_HFO_nomenclature.pdf
[7]
Wallington, T.J., Sulbaek Andersen, M.P. and Nielsen, O.J. (2015) Atmospheric Chemistry of Short-Chain Haloolefins: Photochemical Ozone Creation Potentials (POCPs), Global Warming Potentials (GWPs), and Ozone Depletion Potentials (ODPs). Chemosphere, 129, 135-141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2014.06.092
[8]
The World Meteorological Organization Global Ozone Research and Monitoring Project, Report No. 58, Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion (2018) Chapters 2 (HFCs) and 6 (Scenarios and Information for Policy Makers).
[9]
IEAE (2018) Ocean Acidification in the IPCC Special Report: Global Warming of 1.5°C. https://news-oceanacidification-icc.org/2018/10/08/ocean-acidification-in-the-ipcc-special-report-global-warming-of-1-5c/
[10]
Erickson III, D.J. and Christophe Seuzaret, C. (1999) A General Circulation Model Based Calculation of HCl and ClNO2 Production from Sea Salt Dechlorination: Reactive Chlorine Emissions Inventory. Journal of Geophysical Research, 104, 8347-8372. https://doi.org/10.1029/98JD01384
[11]
EFCTC (2013) Learn about Environment & Breakdown Products: Fluoride in the Atmosphere: A Very Small Contribution from HFCs. https://www.fluorocarbons.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/EFCTC_Learn_about_Fluoride_in_atm_small_HFC_contribution.pdf
[12]
Friend, J.P. (1989) Scientific Assessment in the AFEAS Report-Chapter 11, Natural Sources. Natural Chlorine and Fluorine in the Atmosphere, Water and Precipitation.
[13]
Lobert, J.M., Keene, W.C., Logan, J.A. and Yevich, R. (1999) Global Chlorine Emissions from Biomass Burning: Reactive Chlorine Emissions Inventory. Journal of Geophysical Research, 104, 8373-8389. https://doi.org/10.1029/1998JD100077
[14]
NAEI (2016) National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory for Hydrogen Fluoride and Hydrogen Chloride. http://naei.beis.gov.uk/overview/index
[15]
McCulloch, A., Aucott, M.L., Benkovitz, C.M., Graedel, T.E., Kleiman, G., Midgley, P.M. and Li, Y.-F. (1999) Global Emissions of Hydrogen Chloride and Chloromethane from Coal Combustion, Incineration and Industrial Activities: Reactive Chlorine Emissions Inventory. Journal of Geophysical Research, 104, 8391-8403. https://doi.org/10.1029/1999JD900025
[16]
European Environment Agency EEA/PUBL/2019/051 (2019) Annual European Union Greenhouse Gas Inventory 1990-2017 and Inventory Report 2019. Submission under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol.
[17]
EFCTC (2019) Average GWP Continues to Fall and EU Emissions Decrease, HFC/HFO Data EEA Report No 21/2018, Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases in 2018. HCFC Data in ODP Tonnes (Assumes All HCFC-22) from UNEP Ozone Secretariat Data Centre. https://www.fluorocarbons.org/mediaroom/average-gwp-continues-to-fall-and-eu-hfc-emissions-decrease/ https://ozone.unep.org/
[18]
Henne, S., Dudley, E. Shallcross, D.E., Reimann, S., Xiao, P., Brunner, D., O’Doherty, S. and Buchmann, B. (2012) Future Emissions and Atmospheric Fate of HFC-1234yf from Mobile Air Conditioners in Europe. Environmental Science & Technology, 46, 1650-1658. https://doi.org/10.1021/es2034608
[19]
EFCTC (2018) Refrigerants Subject to the F-Gas Regulation. https://www.fluorocarbons.org/chemical-families/#.XWfoK3dFw2w
[20]
Wallington, T.J., Schneider, W.F., Worsnop, D.R., Nielsen, O.J., Sehested, J., Debruyn, W.J. and Shorter, J.A. (1994) The Environmental Impact of CFC Replacements HFCs and HCFCs. Environmental Science and Technology, 28, 320-326. https://doi.org/10.1021/es00056a714
[21]
European Environment Agency EEA Report No 21/2018 (2018) Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases in 2018.
[22]
EFCTC (2019) Learn about TFA: For a Wide Range of Information about Trifluoroacetic Acid/Acetate as a Breakdown Product of Some HFCs and Some HFOs. https://www.fluorocarbons.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/EFCTC-Learn-About-TFA-2019F-1.pdf
[23]
World Meteorological Organization (2010) Global Ozone Research and Monitoring Project Report No. 52. Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion. https://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/arep/gaw/ozone_2010/documents/Ozone-Assessment-2010-complete.pdf
[24]
Solomon, K.R., Velders, G.J.M., Wilson, S.R., Madronich, S., Longstreth, J. and Aucamp, P.J. (2016) Sources, Fates, Toxicity, and Risks of Trifluoroacetic Acid and Its Salts: Relevance to Substances Regulated under the Montreal and Kyoto Protocols. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B Critical Reviews, 19, 289-304. https://doi.org/10.1080/10937404.2016.1175981
[25]
Nilsson, E.J.K., Nielsen, O.J., Johnson, M.S., Hurley, M.D. and Wallington, T.J. (2009) Atmospheric Chemistry of CIS-CF3CH=CHF: Kinetics of Reactions with OH Radicals and O3 and Products of OH Radical Initiated Oxidation. Chemical Physics Letters, 473, 233-237. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cplett.2009.03.076
[26]
Azapagic, A., Emsley, A.L. and Hamerton, L. (2003) Polymers, the Environment and Sustainable Development. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., New York. https://doi.org/10.1002/0470865172
[27]
European Environment Agency (EEA) NEC (2016) Report. https://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/air/national-emission-ceilings/nec-directive-reporting-status-2018
