Research article
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10 Apr 2017
Research article |
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10 Apr 2017 Changing trends and emissions of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and their hydrofluorocarbon (HFCs) replacements Peter G. Simmonds, Matthew Rigby, Archie McCulloch, Simon O'Doherty, Dickon Young, Jens Mühle, Paul B. Krummel, Paul Steele, Paul J. Fraser, Alistair J. Manning, Ray F. Weiss, Peter K. Salameh, Chris M. Harth, Ray H. J. Wang, and Ronald G. PrinnHigh-frequency, in situ global observations of HCFC-22 (CHClF2), HCFC-141b (CH3CCl2F), HCFC-142b (CH3CClF2) and HCFC-124 (CHClFCF3) and their main HFC replacements, HFC-134a (CH2FCF3), HFC-125 (CHF2CF3), HFC-143a (CH3CF3) and HFC-32 (CH2F2), have been used to determine their changing global growth rates and emissions in response to the Montreal Protocol and its recent amendments. Global mean mole fractions of HCFC-22, -141b, and -142b have increased throughout the observation period, reaching 234, 24.3 and 22.4â¯pmolâ¯molâ1, respectively, in 2015. HCFC-124 reached a maximum global mean mole fraction of 1.48â¯pmolâ¯molâ1 in 2007 and has since declined by 23â¯% to 1.14â¯pmolâ¯molâ1 in 2015. The HFCs all show increasing global mean mole fractions. In 2015 the global mean mole fractions (pmolâ¯molâ1) were 83.3 (HFC-134a), 18.4 (HFC-125), 17.7 (HFC-143a) and 10.5 (HFC-32).
The 2007 adjustment to the Montreal Protocol required the accelerated phase-out of emissive uses of HCFCs with global production and consumption capped in 2013 to mitigate their environmental impact as both ozone-depleting substances and important greenhouse gases. We find that this change has coincided with a stabilisation, or moderate reduction, in global emissions of the four HCFCs with aggregated global emissions in 2015 of 449â¯Â±â¯75â¯Ggâ¯yrâ1, in CO2 equivalent units (CO2â¯eq.) 0.76â¯Â±â¯0.1â¯Gtâ¯yrâ1, compared with 483â¯Â±â¯70â¯Ggâ¯yrâ1 (0.82â¯Â±â¯0.1â¯Gtâ¯yrâ1â¯CO2â¯eq.) in 2010 (uncertainties are 1Ï throughout this paper). About 79â¯% of the total HCFC atmospheric burden in 2015 is HCFC-22, where global emissions appear to have been relatively similar since 2011, in spite of the 2013 cap on emissive uses. We attribute this to a probable increase in production and consumption of HCFC-22 in Montreal Protocol Article 5 (developing) countries and the continuing release of HCFC-22 from the large banks which dominate HCFC global emissions. Conversely, the four HFCs all show increasing mole fraction growth rates with aggregated global HFC emissions of 327â¯Â±â¯70â¯Ggâ¯yrâ1 (0.65â¯Â±â¯0.12â¯Gtâ¯yrâ1â¯CO2â¯eq.) in 2015 compared to 240â¯Â±â¯50â¯Ggâ¯yrâ1 (0.47â¯Â±â¯0.08â¯Gtâ¯yrâ1â¯CO2â¯eq.) in 2010. We also note that emissions of HFC-125 and HFC-32 appear to have increased more rapidly averaged over the 5-year period 2011â2015, compared to 2006â2010. As noted by Lunt et al. (2015) this may reflect a change to refrigerant blends, such as R-410A, which contain HFC-32 and -125 as a 50â¯:â¯50 blend.
Received: 03 Nov 2016 – Discussion started: 15 Dec 2016 – Revised: 03 Mar 2017 – Accepted: 16 Mar 2017 – Published: 10 Apr 2017
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