Constraining Emission Estimates of CFC-11 in Eastern China Based on Local Observations at Surface Stations and Mount Tai

A study reveals that eastern China, particularly Shandong province, has been emitting significantly more trichlorofluoromethane (CFC-11) than previously estimated. Using local observations from 2012 to 2018 at five sites—including rural areas and background stations like Mount Tai and Tuoji Island—the research found CFC-11 mixing ratios 17–23% above global background levels, with even larger enhancements in air masses passing through the Shandong Peninsula's polyurethane foam industry. Tracer-based estimates using carbon monoxide (CO), chloroform (CHCl₃), and carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) suggest CFC-11 emissions in eastern China ranged from 12.0 ± 1.6 to 20.8 ± 3.9 gigagrams per year, averaging 14.7 ± 4.3 Gg/year between 2014 and 2018. These findings indicate that actual emissions may be higher than global models suggest.

Huang, X., Zhang, Y., Xue, L., Tang, J., Song, W., Blake, D. R., & Wang, X. (2021). Constraining Emission Estimates of CFC-11 in Eastern China Based on Local Observations at Surface Stations and Mount Tai. Environmental Science & Technology Letters, 8(11), 940–946. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.1c00539