Transitioning away from refrigerants that drive global warming is possible, study says

A new study published in Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts affirms that moving away from the use of fluorinated gases (F-gases) for refrigeration - which contributes to global warming - is both possible and already happening in some sectors.

In short:

Compared to F-gases, non-fluorinated gases are more efficient and do not break down into trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a toxic byproduct of F-gases that’s harmful when inhaled.
While switching to non-fluorinated gases may come with some trade-offs in initial costs and operating capacity, these are outweighed by improved environmental safety and reduced expenses over time.

Key quote:

“F-gases represented 2.5% of the total EU greenhouse-gas emissions in 2023 and reducing their direct emissions is an important element in efforts to limit global warming.”

Why this matters:

Despite their high global warming potential, F-gases are used in everything from fridges to air conditioners, heat pumps, dehumidifiers and dryers. Strong regulatory action has proven effective in eliminating ozone-depleting refrigerants in the past, but the substances that have replaced them - including F-gases - have their own dangers. The authors of this study emphasize that when searching for solutions to the issues caused by F-gases, any trade-offs on efficiency should be considered unacceptable due to the potential for environmental harm.

Related EHN coverage:

More resources:

Bangor Daily News:How to find home appliances that don’t emit ‘forever chemicals’, which shares guidance on shopping for appliances free of F-gases.

Glüge, Juliane et al. for Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts. Oct. 3, 2024

pubs.rsc.org

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