Cutting down CFCs and even HCFCs

THE ozone layer is the layer that forms a protective shield around the globe where it is responsible for the absorption of ultra-violet (UV) ray. The CFCs (chlorofluorocarbon) is the man-made chemical that can eventually deplete the ozone layer. The CFCs also absorb infra-red radiation from the earth’s surface and lead to increase in temperature, which contributes to the greenhouse effect.  

The greenhouse effect was blamed for the more rapid ice melting in the polar regions and glaciers, causing the rise in sea level and disrupting the climate change of earth. The UV rays will cause skin cancer and cataracts and weaken the immune systems for humans. The increase of UV light also reduces crop yield and disrupts to the food chain and ecology system.  

The CFCs were mainly produced by the air-conditioning in buildings, vehicles, the refrigeration system such as refrigerators, freezers, and ice-making machine. The CFCs also come out from foam products such as in food packages and seat cushions.  

Aerosol such as pesticides and insecticides and the dry cleaning and degreasing solvent that we used in daily life also released the CFCs to the atmosphere. Besides that, the fire extinguishers also used this halon.  

According to the Montreal Protocol that we signed in 1987, the conservative estimate suggests that the target of 85% reduction in the CFCs phase-out programme has to be reached by the year of 2010.  

Government and public have to be more alert to this issue because CFCs will not only affect our environment, it will directly threaten the lives of humans and other organisms.  

The government has enforced on buying chloride-free alternative refrigerants or the CFC free refrigerants from residential to large commercial enterprise. The large commercial enterprise such as factories, offices and hotels should support environmentally friendly products when buying their chillers, air-conditioning, refrigerators and freezers.  

Residential consumers also need to choose environmentally friendly products like CFC-free aerosols. We also need to control the rate of the CFCs that has been emitted into the environment by minimising leakage from equipment such as refrigerators and air-conditioners.  

These machines or equipment need to be checked for leaks regularly or a refrigerant leak detection device installed. 

Nowadays, there are substitutes such as HCFCs to replace the CFCs used. Its depletion power to the ozone layer is 90% less than the CFCs. Some of the CFCs products had already been replaced by the HCFCs compounds in Malaysia through the implementation of Montreal Protocol. .  

But this is only a temporary way to slow down the rate of depletion of ozone layer. Eventually the ozone layer still will be depleted by HCFCs.  

YU KIN LEN, Programme officer, Fomca.