Understanding the impact of refrigerants on our environment

Research has shown that the leakage of chlorine in the refrigerants of air conditioners and other cooling appliances are the main cause behind the depletion of the ozone layer. The air conditioning industry should show support to global efforts for protecting the environment by introducing non-chlorine refrigerants.

Efforts to reduce the impact of leakage from gases on the environment begin with an emphasis on reducing CFC refrigerants. Efforts centred on the elimination of CFCs that were mainly used in air conditioning applications.

The reports show that there are a large number of replacements for hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) commonly known as R-22. In Europe, replacements for R-22 are widely used because of government regulations. Some of these replacements are extensively used, but on the other hand replacement refrigerants have different operating characteristics than R-22. All previous refrigerants before R-410A used to emit chlorine and cause ozone depletion, thus leaving global warming as a focus for upcoming regulations and control.

Direct global warming has become a global issue. The leakage of refrigerants from air conditioning systems has a major impact on this. Refrigerant containment in air conditioning systems can reduce direct global warming effects significantly. This can be achieved by designing systems that reduce the stored volume of refrigerants as well as through the use of R-410A, which does not harm the ozone layer.