True or False: Aerosol is bad for the environment?
True or False: Aerosols damage the Earth’s ozone layer?
True or False: Aerosol use has been banned in the US?
In our survey, 90% of the respondents answered True to the three questions above. The actual answers are False.
First, we have to get the definition of “aerosol” understood. Technically, an aerosol is a suspension of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in a gas. Examples are clouds. The word aerosol derives from the fact that matter “floating” in air is a suspension (a mixture in which solid or liquid or combined solid–liquid particles are suspended in a fluid.
Now, why are the answers False to the above questions?
Aerosol is bad for the environment? Aerosols themselves are not bad for the environment. What may or may not be bad for the environment are the propellants used in aerosol cans. More and more companies are using natural propellants like nitrogen that are not a green house gas and not toxic.
Aerosols damage the Earth’s ozone layer? Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were once often used as an aerosol propellant, but since 1989 they have been banned in the US and replaced in nearly every country due to the negative effects CFCs have on Earth’s ozone layer.
Aerosol use has been banned in the US? No, aerosol spray cans are still produce in the US; CFC were banned in 1989. Look on the grocery shelves and you still find food sprays like PAM, whip cream and many more on the shelves.
So, why after 22 years do we still feel that aerosols are bad?
What do you thin?