CCl4 emissions in eastern China during 2021-2022 and exploration of potential new sources

Bowei Li; Jiahuan Huang; Xiaoyi Hu; Lulu Zhang; Mengyue Ma; Liting Hu; Di Chen; Qianna Du; Yahui Sun; Zhouxiang Cai; Ao Chen; Xinhe Li; Rui Feng; Ronald G Prinn; Xuekun Fang

doi:10.1038/s41467-024-45981-x

CCl₄ emissions in eastern China during 2021-2022 and exploration of potential new sources

Nat Commun. 2024 Feb 26;15(1):1725. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-45981-x.

Authors

Bowei Li¹, Jiahuan Huang², Xiaoyi Hu¹, Lulu Zhang², Mengyue Ma¹, Liting Hu¹, Di Chen¹, Qianna Du¹, Yahui Sun¹, Zhouxiang Cai¹, Ao Chen³, Xinhe Li¹, Rui Feng¹, Ronald G Prinn⁴, Xuekun Fang^{5

6}

Affiliations

¹ College of Environmental & Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
² Wuxi Ecology Environment Monitoring and Control Center, 214062, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.
³ Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
⁴ Center for Global Change Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
⁵ College of Environmental & Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. fangxuekun@zju.edu.cn.
⁶ Center for Global Change Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA. fangxuekun@zju.edu.cn.

Abstract

According to the Montreal Protocol, the production and consumption of ozone-layer-depleting CCl₄ for dispersive applications was globally phased out by 2010, including China. However, continued CCl₄ emissions were disclosed, with the latest CCl₄ emissions unknown in eastern China. In the current study, based on the atmospheric measurements of ~12,000 air samples taken at two sites in eastern China, the 2021-2022 CCl₄ emissions are quantified as 7.6 ± 1.7 gigagrams per year. This finding indicates that CCl₄ emissions continued after being phased out for dispersive uses in 2010. Subsequently, our study identifies potential industrial sources (manufacture of general purpose machinery and manufacture of raw chemical materials, and chemical products) of CCl₄ emissions.

Grants and funding

22106134/National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China)