Findings could make a major contribution to protecting the endangered ozone layer

via Path Decorations Pictures

Scientists from Mainz and Aschaffenburg developed a method to protect the ozone layer from the damaging effects of the chlorofluorocarbon Freon 11

Researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) and Aschaffenburg University of Applied Sciences have managed to make a breakthrough when it comes to dealing with the extremely ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbon Freon 11. Their findings could make a major contribution to protecting the endangered ozone layer.Freon 11 is a chlorofluorocarbon (CFC). These substances were previously used, among other things, as coolants in refrigerators and as foaming agents for polyurethane foams. In the 1970s scientists realized that CFCs were damaging the protective ozone layer in the upper atmosphere and were also responsible for the appearance of the ozone hole. In addition, Freon 11 is 4,750 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas, additionally contributing to global warming.Although the Montreal Protocol banned the production and trade of this CFC in the late 1980s, it is still released today when refrigerators are recycled and is even traded on the black market. The ozone-depleting substance has also recently been the subject of repeated scientific and media attention. A study published in the journal Nature reported an alarming recurrence and a sharp increase in the global release of Freon 11, which the authors were able to attribute to extensive illegal production and use of this substance in Chinese polyurethane foam factories. Being able to effectively adsorb and detect Freon 11 at an early stage, it would seem, is thus more important than ever. “If we can learn to safely handle this environmentally harmful substance, it would be not only of great scientific interest but also, and above all, a matter of worldwide benefit,” emphasized Professor Siegfried Waldvogel of JGU, corresponding author of the study.

Sustainable and environmentally-friendly method of binding Freon 11

In their paper in the journal Global Challenges, the scientists from Mainz and Aschaffenburg describe a method of effectively binding both airborne and liquid phase Freon 11 using modified cyclic sugar molecules, i.e., a substance called methyl-substituted ?-cyclodextrin. This would prevent the release of the environmentally harmful foaming agent into the atmosphere, where it additionally impairs the stratosphere’s ability to protect against UV radiation. The process of Freon 11 binding is reversible and the adsorbent medium can be fully regenerated under controlled conditions. The recovered material can also be reused. This makes the process a sustainable and environmentally-friendly method of binding this extremely ozone-depleting substance, a method that can be readily employed when old refrigerators are scrapped, for example.

In addition, the research teams at Mainz and Aschaffenburg have been able to transfer this concept to an optical sensor device, making it possible to detect low concentrations of Freon 11 quickly and reliably.

The Latest on: Ozone layer

[google_news title=”” keyword=”ozone layer” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]

via Google News

The Latest on: Ozone layer

Ozone could be next layer in fight against sewage
on March 29, 2023 at 4:02 pm
You may not have realised it, but you have probably swum in a pool where the water is kept safe with ozone rather than chlorine. Now, under plans by one of England’s biggest water companies, the ...
The Ozone Layer: A Hole New World [Video]
on March 28, 2023 at 10:46 am
In the 1980s, scientists discovered a gaping hole in Earth's ozone layer, caused by humanmade chemicals. But thanks to the historical Montreal Protocol, the world came together to take bold action to ...
UNIDO Reaches Its Billion-Dollar Milestone On Ozone And Climate Action
on March 28, 2023 at 7:54 am
Over 133 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent emissions, roughly equal to emissions from 2 ...
Modern Wildfires And Their Effect On The Ozone Layer
on March 23, 2023 at 5:00 pm
The ozone layer is a precious thing, helping protect the Earth from the harshest of the sun’s radiative output. If anything were to damage this layer, we’d all feel the results in a very short ...
Leading ozone scientist says more climate surprises likely
on March 21, 2023 at 4:18 pm
Her own research had delivered a recent "shocker" that Australia's massive 2019-20 wildfires combined with lingering remnants of the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) still in the atmosphere to erode the ...
Leading ozone scientist says more climate surprises likely
on March 21, 2023 at 9:01 am
still in the atmosphere to erode the ozone layer—Earth's protective shield from damaging ultraviolet radiation. The following interview has been edited for length and flow: Q: Did it feel like a ...
Google remembers scientist who pioneered research in Ozone layer depletion
on March 18, 2023 at 9:22 pm
Mario Molina was one of the researchers (along with Paul J Crutzen and F Sherwood Roland) who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1995 for his work on exposing how chemicals deplete Earth’s ...
Google Doodle Celebrates Mario Molina, Scientist Who Revealed Ozone Threat
on March 18, 2023 at 4:39 pm
Steven Musil is the night news editor at CNET News. He's been hooked on tech since learning BASIC in the late '70s. When not cleaning up after his daughter and son, Steven can be found pedaling ...
Gwyneth Paltrow Has Tried Rectal Ozone Therapy And Here’s What Experts Think
on March 16, 2023 at 7:47 pm
Ozone is a combination of three oxygen atoms that most of us associate with the ozone layer in the atmosphere. In the upper stratosphere, ozone can block harmful ultraviolet rays, which is a good ...