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

UN film and game for teens focuses on protecting ozone layer - Minneapolis Star Tribune
January 25, 2021
The UN created a game about protecting the ozone layer - Engadget
January 21, 2021
Flight at the Edge of the Ozone Layer - National Geographic UK
January 24, 2021
Finally, some good environment news : the 2020 ozone layer hole closed down - ZME Science
January 12, 2021
Antarctic ozone hole — one of the largest, deepest — closes - Down To Earth Magazine
January 7, 2021
United Nations 'Reset Earth' game has one goal: save the ozone layer - Input
January 22, 2021
2020's hole in the ozone layer closed after reaching a record size - Yahoo News Canada
January 7, 2021
Ozone Depletion: What More Can Be Done To Restore The Layer? - Youth Ki Awaaz
January 4, 2021
Scientists Have Discovered a New Case of Rogue Pollution - Gizmodo
January 25, 2021
UNEP enters the world of online gaming - Cooling Post
January 23, 2021

via Google News

The Latest on: Ozone layer

UN unveils game, film for teens focused on protecting ozone layer
on January 25, 2021 at 1:14 pm
The United Nations launched an animated film and game on Sunday aimed at engaging Gen Z teenagers on the importance of protecting the ozone layer. The project, called “Reset ...
UN film and game for teens focuses on protecting ozone layer
on January 24, 2021 at 5:26 pm
UN film and game for teens focuses on protecting ozone layer 14 mins ago Indianapolis shooting: Five people including a pregnant woman killed in city's 'largest mass casualty shooting' in more ...
UN film and game for teens focuses on protecting ozone layer
on January 24, 2021 at 5:14 pm
The United Nations is launching an animated film and game aimed at engaging Gen Z teenagers on the importance of protecting the ozone layer ...
‘Reset Earth’: Animation film & mobile game bring Gen Z into protecting ozone layer
on January 23, 2021 at 4:42 pm
Animation film & mobile game bring Gen Z into protecting ozone layer. Chinese smartphones have brought in a pretty bad ...
The UN created a game about protecting the ozone layer
on January 21, 2021 at 6:49 am
How do you teach a younger crowd to appreciate and protect the ozone layer? By weaving the science into the games they play, apparently. As Eurogamer reports, the UN’s Environment Programme is ...
Ozone hole over Antarctica peaks at 24 million square kms, the highest for the last decade
on January 18, 2021 at 4:00 pm
Since the ban on halocarbons, the ozone layer has slowly been recovering; the data clearly show a trend in decreasing area of the ozone hole. The latest WMO/UN Environment Program Scientific ...
Ozone Layer Recovery Falters Unexpectedly
on January 3, 2021 at 10:01 pm
The Earth’s protective ozone layer is not recovering uniformly from the damage caused to it by industry and other human activities. And scientists are not sure why it isn’t. An international ...