Mysterious four new man-made Ozone-Killing gases discovered

March 13, 2014

The scientists from the University of East Anglia, UK discovered traces of four new man-made gases in the atmosphere that are capable of destroying the ozone layer and intensifying global warming. Scientists stated that the new gases are manmade because they were not seen in the atmosphere until the 1960s.
About four new man-made Ozone-Killing gases

Three of the gases are Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and one is a Hydro- Chlorofluorocarbon (HCFC), which can also damage ozone.
The four new gases have been identified as CFC-112, CFC112a, CFC-113a, HCFC-133a.
CFC-113a: An agrochemical intermediate for the manufacture of pyrethroids. (a type of insecticide once widely used in agriculture).
CFC-113a and HCFC-133a: Intermediaries in the production of widely used refrigerants.
CFC-112 and 112a may have been used in the production of solvents and used to clean electrical components.
Of the four species identified, CFC-113 seems to be most worrying, as it is an insecticide coming from a very small but growing emissions source somewhere as yet unidentified.
CFC and HCFC gases have been found to damage the ozone layer, which is essential to filter ultraviolet rays that can cause cancer in humans.
As per estimate, about 74,000 tonnes of these gases have been released into the atmosphere.

The study was published in the journal Nature Geoscience.
Note: The ozone layer protect the planet from damaging ultraviolet rays that can cause skin cancer and eye cataracts.

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