Material balance analysis of trichlorofluoromethane and carbon tetrachloride in the atmosphere

Abstract

Using the historical worldwide emission and monitoring data on trichlorofluoro-methane, a transfer constant (0.03 yr−1) was evaluated for the movement of the gas from the troposphere to the stratosphere. The movement between the northern and southern troposphere was estimated from literature data on other gases to be 0.9 yr−1. The flux between the ocean and air was calculated using water solubility and vapor pressure measurements. These transfer constants were then combined in a dynamic material balance model which has the capability of predicting future trends. The procedure was then applied to a similar set of data for carbon tetrachloride. The agreement between the calculated atmospheric and water concentration for carbon tetrachloride was within 20% of the actual experimental observation thus lending credence to this type of budgetary analysis.