How do the gases from aerosol cans affect the ozone layer?
Until the 1980s, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were widely used as the propellants in aerosol cans, but they were banned after scientists discovered conclusively that they damaged Earth’s ozone layer. (No wonder, really, when you consider that something like 10 billion aerosol cans are used and thrown away each year.) Now other chemicals are used as propellants instead, including the gases propane and butane.
Until the 1980s, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were widely used as the propellants in aerosol cans, but they were banned after scientists discovered conclusively that they damaged Earth’s ozone layer. (No wonder, really, when you consider that something like 10 billion aerosol cans are used and thrown away each year.) Now other chemicals are used as propellants instead, including the gases propane and butane. Although these gases don’t damage the ozone layer, they do have other drawbacks: they can be harmful to inhale and they are highly flammable.
