PFAS F-gases in Mobile Air-Conditioning: A Neglected Issue with an Easy Fix Most of the fluorinated refrigerants used in heating and cooling systems worldwide are considered per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). One of the issues of these substances is their degradation product trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), which forms once fluorinated refrigerants leak into the atmosphere. TFA is harmful to aquatic life and is considered to be very mobile and persistent. Its increasing presence around the world in sources of drinking water and biota is concerning1 and calls for policy action.2
Thousand tonnes of TFA from cars' MAC 80
71
70
57
60 50 40
The problem The use of fluorinated greenhouse gases is considered to be the biggest contributor to PFAS pollution in Europe,3 and low-GWP f-gases from mobile systems are estimated to be a major source of TFA formation,4 also due to the penetration of HFO-1234yf in cars breaking down 100% into TFA in around 10 days. Each year, around 10 million new cars enter the European market,5 and each car emits on average around 10% of its refrigerant charge per year,6 exacerbating this issue. ATMOsphere modelled that around 57 thousand tonnes of TFA7 have been emitted from mobile air-conditioning systems alone since 2012. The European Union mobile and air-conditioning Directive (EU MAC Directive),8 adopted in 2006 and never revised thereafter, imposes a switch to refrigerants below 150 GWP since 2017, resulting in most cars now containing HFO1234yf.
30 20 10
Years
0 2012
2023
2028
By the time the first restrictions of PFAS and TFA enter into force with the European PFAS Universal Restriction Proposal,9 ATMOsphere estimates that another 14 thousand tonnes of unnecessary TFA7 from car’s MAC systems will accumulate in the European environment. Due to the prevalence of systems with HFO-1234yf, in the next years around 1/4 of the amount leaked into the environment since 2012 could end up in our environment in the next four years.
1. Garry, M. (2022). The rising threat of HFOs and TFA to health and the environment. ATMOsphere. Available online at: https://atmosphere.cool/atmosphere-report-examines-rising-threat-of-hfos-and-tfa-tohealth-and-the-environment/ 2. Norwegian Environment Agency (2023). PFAS restriction proposal in the EU - Main provisions targeting fluorinated refrigerants. Available online at: https://ozone.unep.org/system/files/documents/MP%20 side-event_Heggelund.pdf 3. See Table 4. Tonnages and emissions of major use sectors and manufacture for 2020 (sorted by tonnage range) in the ANNEX XV RESTRICTION REPORT – Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). Available online at: https://echa.europa.eu/documents/10162/1c480180-ece9-1bdd-1eb8-0f3f8e7c0c49 4. See Figure S 4. European (EU-28) emissions of important HFCs, u-HFCs and u-HCFCs in refrigerants and blowing agents, and resulting trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) quantities in kilotonnes by sector for the years 2000 to 2050 in 10-year steps, in the German Environment Agency report “Persistent degradation products of halogenated refrigerants and blowing agents in the environment: type, environmental concentrations, and fate with particular regard to new halogenated substitutes with low global warming potential”. Available online at: https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/sites/default/files/medien/5750/ publikationen/2021-05-06_texte_73-2021_persistent_degradation_products.pdf 5. Data taken from new passenger car registrations in the EU, ACEA 2023. Available online at: https://www.acea.auto/figure/new-passenger-car-registrations-in-eu/ 6. See Table 43: AnaFgas sector sheet for the baseline scenario: Mobile AC - Passenger cars, in Support Contract for an Evaluation and Impact Assessment for amending Regulation (EU) No 517/2014 on fluorinated greenhouse gases. Available online at: https://climate.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2022-04/f-gases_external_preparatory_study_annexes_en.pdf 7. The data are modelled for the European Economic Area, plus Switzerland and the United Kingdom. 8. See European Commission dedicated website here: https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/automotive-industry/environmental-protection/mobile-air-conditioning-systems-macs_en 9. Estimated in 2028.