Scientists: Chemical Used in Air Coolers Needs Replacing
2023-10-19
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1Jennifer Byrne owns a heating and air conditioning repair company in the American city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
2Air conditioning, or AC equipment, cools the air in a home.
3To do this, the equipment uses a gas called a refrigerant.
4While working on AC equipment in a house, Byrne puts gas from the equipment into a special container.
5The gas is known by an industrial name: R-410A.
6Scientists say it traps 2,088 times more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.
7Because chemical refrigerants capture heat, some people say they need to be replaced with something else.
8Some scientists are worried that the release of methane, carbon dioxide, and other gases is making the atmosphere warmer.
9The Clean Air Act bars businesses from releasing refrigerants into the air on purpose.
10Some companies are trying to find replacement gases that trap less heat, which might work almost as well.
11Leaking AC equipment in homes is one way the gases get into the atmosphere.
12Cars are another source of these pollutants, said Eckhard Groll.
13He is an expert in refrigeration and head of mechanical engineering at Purdue University in the state of Indiana.
14He said AC units in cars can leak.
15He said that, on average, about 25 percent of refrigerant from all cars leak out every year.
16There are more than 200 million gasoline cars in the U.S. alone, Groll said.
17Using those numbers, Groll said he estimates about 45 million kilograms of refrigerant is leaking into the atmosphere each year.
18Supermarkets are the second-largest source of leaks.
19Long pipes carry refrigerant to coolers that store food.
20Danielle Wright is head of the North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council, a nonprofit group based in Mill Valley, California.
21It supports cleaner methods of cooling.
22Wright said the average supermarket leaks about 25 percent of its refrigerant each year.
23That number is based on a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency report from 2005.
24She criticized supermarkets, saying "...it's cheaper to leak the refrigerant than to build a leak-proof system."
25Limiting leaks is important because the refrigerant can be reused.
26Many businesses recycle refrigerant gas.
27One such company, A-Gas, was founded in Britain in 1993.
28The company has several centers in the U.S.
29Refrigerants can be used many times over and can last for 30 years, said Mike Armstrong, President of A-Gas in the Americas.
30The company takes in refrigerants and containers from around the U.S. and other countries.
31It processes the gas to be sold and used again.
32He said his business is doing well.
33"This industry is probably going to increase four to five times in the next couple years," Armstrong said.
34The chemical industry is also looking for a chemical to replace R-410A.
35Some researchers have suggested carbon dioxide itself as a possibility.
36But Groll of Purdue University said that carbon dioxide has to be under high pressure to work as a refrigerant.
37Completely different equipment would be necessary.
38Christopher Cappa teaches environmental engineering at the University of California, Davis.
39He said carbon dioxide would be useful "if we're pulling it out of the atmosphere."
40But he added, "if we're producing it just as a refrigerant, that wouldn't be necessarily nearly as good."
41Wright of the Sustainable Refrigeration Council supports the use of carbon dioxide.
42"This is kind of a low-hanging fruit, it's a known technology and it's market ready," she said.
43However, she said that reducing leaks from air conditioners is more difficult.
44She said chemical and equipment manufacturers and existing building rules have slowed the growth of new refrigerants in the U.S.
45But one manufacturer, Trane Technologies, said it has been working hard on different choices.
46Trane says it has a refrigerant that is 78 percent less damaging to the environment than the current one.
47The company says it will start using it in its equipment beginning in 2024.
48And at Harvard University, researchers are working to develop a solid refrigerant instead of a gas.
49Jarad Mason, an assistant professor of chemistry and chemical biology at Harvard University, is working on the project.
50He said he is hopeful about using solid materials because they could be used in both large buildings and normal homes.
51"Demands for heating and cooling are only going to increase," he said.
52He added that researchers must find ways of cooling that do not harm the environment and are not costly.
53I'm Andrew Smith. And I'm Jill Robbins.
1Jennifer Byrne owns a heating and air conditioning repair company in the American city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 2Air conditioning, or AC equipment, cools the air in a home. To do this, the equipment uses a gas called a refrigerant. 3While working on AC equipment in a house, Byrne puts gas from the equipment into a special container. 4The gas is known by an industrial name: R-410A. Scientists say it traps 2,088 times more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. 5Because chemical refrigerants capture heat, some people say they need to be replaced with something else. Some scientists are worried that the release of methane, carbon dioxide, and other gases is making the atmosphere warmer. 6The Clean Air Act bars businesses from releasing refrigerants into the air on purpose. Some companies are trying to find replacement gases that trap less heat, which might work almost as well. 7Leaking AC equipment in homes is one way the gases get into the atmosphere. Cars are another source of these pollutants, said Eckhard Groll. He is an expert in refrigeration and head of mechanical engineering at Purdue University in the state of Indiana. 8He said AC units in cars can leak. He said that, on average, about 25 percent of refrigerant from all cars leak out every year. There are more than 200 million gasoline cars in the U.S. alone, Groll said. Using those numbers, Groll said he estimates about 45 million kilograms of refrigerant is leaking into the atmosphere each year. 9Supermarkets are the second-largest source of leaks. Long pipes carry refrigerant to coolers that store food. Danielle Wright is head of the North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council, a nonprofit group based in Mill Valley, California. It supports cleaner methods of cooling. 10Wright said the average supermarket leaks about 25 percent of its refrigerant each year. That number is based on a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency report from 2005. 11She criticized supermarkets, saying "...it's cheaper to leak the refrigerant than to build a leak-proof system." 12Limiting leaks is important because the refrigerant can be reused. Many businesses recycle refrigerant gas. One such company, A-Gas, was founded in Britain in 1993. The company has several centers in the U.S. 13Refrigerants can be used many times over and can last for 30 years, said Mike Armstrong, President of A-Gas in the Americas. The company takes in refrigerants and containers from around the U.S. and other countries. It processes the gas to be sold and used again. He said his business is doing well. 14"This industry is probably going to increase four to five times in the next couple years," Armstrong said. 15The chemical industry is also looking for a chemical to replace R-410A. Some researchers have suggested carbon dioxide itself as a possibility. But Groll of Purdue University said that carbon dioxide has to be under high pressure to work as a refrigerant. Completely different equipment would be necessary. 16Christopher Cappa teaches environmental engineering at the University of California, Davis. He said carbon dioxide would be useful "if we're pulling it out of the atmosphere." But he added, "if we're producing it just as a refrigerant, that wouldn't be necessarily nearly as good." 17Refrigeration easier to clean than air conditioning 18Wright of the Sustainable Refrigeration Council supports the use of carbon dioxide. "This is kind of a low-hanging fruit, it's a known technology and it's market ready," she said. 19However, she said that reducing leaks from air conditioners is more difficult. She said chemical and equipment manufacturers and existing building rules have slowed the growth of new refrigerants in the U.S. 20But one manufacturer, Trane Technologies, said it has been working hard on different choices. Trane says it has a refrigerant that is 78 percent less damaging to the environment than the current one. The company says it will start using it in its equipment beginning in 2024. 21And at Harvard University, researchers are working to develop a solid refrigerant instead of a gas. Jarad Mason, an assistant professor of chemistry and chemical biology at Harvard University, is working on the project. 22He said he is hopeful about using solid materials because they could be used in both large buildings and normal homes. 23"Demands for heating and cooling are only going to increase," he said. He added that researchers must find ways of cooling that do not harm the environment and are not costly. 24I'm Andrew Smith. And I'm Jill Robbins. 25Isabella O'Malley wrote this story for the Associated Press. Andrew Smith adapted it for VOA Learning English. 26________________________________________________ 27Words in This Story 28source -n. where something comes from 29cheaper -comp. adj. less costly than something else 30recycle -v. to take something that has been used before, reprocess it, then use it again as if it were new