Fun With Science

3 New Ozone-Munching Gases Found in Atmosphere

Three newly discovered man-made gases have joined the growing list of chemicals that can destroy Earth's protective ozone layer, but these new compounds likely pose little threat to ozone because they're found in such low concentrations, a new study reports.

The previously unknown compounds — two new chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and one new hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) — were spotted by an international team led by researchers at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom. The scientists discovered the atmospheric gases by analyzing air samples collected at a relatively unpolluted research station at Cape Grim, Tasmania, from 1978 to 2012, and from instruments aboard commercial flights.

The three compounds exist in relatively low quantities in the atmosphere, and none appear to be drastically increasing in concentration in recent years, said study co-author Johannes Laube, a researcher at the University of East Anglia.