New study finds water toxicity a likely impact of HFO wide adoption
[ added 24 February, 2010 ]
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A new study by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Japan highlights the risk of aquatic ecotoxicity development that the wide adoption of new chemical refrigerant HFO-1234yf could entail.
Titled ‘Estimation of environmental concentrations and deposition fluxes of R- 1234-YF and its decomposition products emitted from air conditioning equipment to atmosphere’, the study was presented at the ‘2010 International Symposium on Next-generation Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology’ that was held between 17 and 19 February 2010 in Tokyo.Researchers at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Japan considered the scenario where HFO-1234yf becomes a widely used refrigerant in air conditioning equipment (AC) in Japan to assess the environmental impacts of such an advent.
A scenario under which Japan adopts HFO in all AC equipment
More specifically, the authors of the paper estimated the environmental concentrations of HFO-1234yf and its decomposed products by using an atmospheric dispersion model under a scenario where HFO-1234yf is used in all AC equipments - including home AC, institutional AC (e.g., buildings, stores), and mobile AC (e.g., car) - manufactured after 2011 in place of HFC and HCFC.
Under this assumption, the researchers examined concentrations of HFO1234yf, ozone, formaldehyde, CF3C(O)F and Trifluoroacetic Acid (TFA).
Results highlight ample risk of aquatic ecotoxicity
The researchers estimated the dry and wet deposition fluxes and the concentrations of TFA in environmental water. They found the maximum concentrations of TFA in rainwater and surface water to be 0.45 and 1.3 μg/L, respectively.
This maximum concentration of TFA in surface water estimated by the authors is about 80 times smaller compared to the level of concentration above which some algae species start to present adverse effects. However, the authors maintain that the 80 times ratio is not sufficiently large to prevent the development of aquatic ecotoxicity because of TFA's property of being extremely stable in the environment. “Considering the TFA concentration variations caused by seasonal precipitation patterns and the possibility that TFA will accumulate in some closed aquatic systems after deposition”, the authors of the paper warn that there is an ample risk that the adoption of HFO-1234yf leads to the development of aquatic ecotoxicity.
The researchers conclude that “further, behavior in aquatic environments including the accumulation of TFA on land after dry and wet depositions needs to be evaluated”.
Click here to download the paper.
