Nature Communications (Feb 2024)

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
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-45981-x
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15, no. 1
pp. 1 – 8

Abstract

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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.