Silent Global Rain: CFC Replacements Spawn Planet-Wide Forever Chemicals
Lancaster-led research estimates about 335,500 tonnes of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) formed from CFC replacements and certain anesthetics and deposited worldwide between 2000–2022, with the amount likely rising for decades; Arctic ice cores and global rainfall data show widespread distribution, underscoring TFA's persistence and potential ecological/health risks and prompting calls for international monitoring and action.