What range of ozone depletion potential do HCFC refrigerants fall in, compared with CFC-11 at 1.0?
Environmental impacts · EPA 608 Core. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
How CFCs and HCFCs destroy stratospheric ozone, and what that does to health and the environment.
The question
What range of ozone depletion potential do HCFC refrigerants fall in, compared with CFC-11 at 1.0?
- About 0.01 to 0.1Correct answer
- About 0.6 to 1.0
- About 1.0 to 10
- Exactly zero
Why “About 0.01 to 0.1” is correct
HCFCs have ODPs of roughly 0.01 to 0.1. They still contain chlorine, but much of each molecule breaks down in the lower atmosphere before it reaches the stratosphere. The highest-ODP HCFCs were phased out first.
Source: EPA: Test Topics
Why the other answers are wrong
- About 0.6 to 1.0 — 0.6 to 1.0 is the range of the common CFCs.
- About 1.0 to 10 — ODPs up to 10 belong to the halons, not HCFCs.
- Exactly zero — An ODP of zero belongs to HFCs, which contain no chlorine.
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