Researchers report the effects of the ocean on atmospheric concentrations of the ozone-depleting chemical CFC-11, finding that the ocean serves as a sink for CFC-11 in the short term, reducing apparent chemical lifetime in the atmosphere; however, by the mid-2100s, the ocean is expected to become a source of CFC-11, producing noticeable emissions that should not be regarded as illicit production of the chemical, which was phased out under the Montreal Protocol, according to the authors.
###
Article #20-21528:
"On the effects of the ocean on atmospheric CFC-11 lifetimes and emissions," by Peidong Wang, et al.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Peidong Wang,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Cambridge, MA;
tel: 608-695-1160;
email: <pdwang@mit.edu>