CFC-gold+class+'09

Jacob McNeill, Talib Friend

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CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons)

-How/why we use this chemical The chemical is used mostly because of it’s low reactivity.

-Specific products it’s in Used in fire extinguishers and the propellant in aerosol inhalers

-What it does It releases halogens at high temperatures. The halogens combine with hydrogen. The combination smothers the flames and gets rid of them even if there is the right amount of oxygen, heat, and fuel. It is also use to prevent fuel in the tanks of fighters from becoming explosive.

-Where it is used (what countries) It is banned as a propellant in all forms in the US. However it is used to suppress fires in multiple countries.

Human health implications
-What are the possible dangers associated with this chemical? It can cause ozone depletion which can result in skin cancer from radiation. It can combine with copper to make phosgene which when exposed to can cause a liquid build up in the lungs which results in death.

-How, specifically, does this chemical affect the body? CFCs don’t directly do anything to the body. But it allows radiation through the ozone which can cause skin cancer.

-What human body processes are affected by this chemical? Breathing and protection from the world outside the body are both affected by this chemical.

-What human systems are affected by this chemical? (eg reproductive, endocrine) The skin and respiratory system are affected.

Environmental implications -What specific environmental systems/processes does your chemical interact with? It interacts with the gasses in the ozone and with copper pipes.

-How does the chemical interact with the environment? It combines with chlorine compounds and when it does combine it destroys ozone.

-What happens when this chemical degrades? What byproducts are formed? It usually doesn’t degrade but drifts into the upper atmosphere where it destroys ozone.

-How long does it take to degrade? It doesn’t degrade unless it is heated.

-How is it disposed of? It usually isn’t disposed of because it is used and when used it is turned into a gas.

Summary:
CFCs are very useful in safety because of the fact that they are used in fire extinguishers. However, the main problem with chlorofluorocarbons is that they build up and then destroy the ozone. They have been banned as propellants for aerosol cans and inhalers but that really isn’t going to work. But nearly every building in the US has a fire extinguisher and they all use CFCs as a propellant. So although they help put out a fire in the short term they can be very dangerous to the atmosphere in the long term. So overall they should be used as infrequently as possible until a replacement can be found.