Transition to New Refrigerants

Until the mid-1990s, motor vehicle air conditioners (MVACs) primarily used chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)-12. CFC-12 is a refrigerant that depletes the stratospheric ozone layer ozone layer The region of the stratosphere containing the bulk of atmospheric ozone. The ozone layer lies approximately 15-40 kilometers (10-25 miles) above the Earth's surface, in the stratosphere. Depletion of this layer by ozone depleting substances (ODS) will lead to higher UVB levels, which in turn will cause increased skin cancers and cataracts and potential damage to some marine organisms, plants, and plastics. Learn more about basic ozone science.  that protects the Earth from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation ultraviolet (UV) radiation Ultraviolet radiation is a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum with wavelengths shorter than visible light. The sun produces UV, which is commonly split into three bands: UVA, UVB, and UVC. UVA is not absorbed by ozone. UVB is mostly absorbed by ozone, although some reaches the Earth. UVC is completely absorbed by ozone and normal oxygen. Find more information on ultraviolet radiation from NASA. . It is also a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.