Mystery source of ozone-destroying chemical keeps it around
JournalBot
15 years after it was banned, carbon tetrachloride isn't going away quickly.
Gee, we used it in High School Chemistry. Then again, we played with mercury then with our bare hands, too.
I know of a government location that stores nuclear waste which had a few areas require additional air filtering because carbon tet was leaking out of the barrels (which are designed to not allow pressure build up,which is also filtered ). It was only in the upper part per billions, well below the legal part per millions limit.
Still, the stuff doesn't lend itself to being contained. I think these scientists just didn't properly account for release from landfills and 'cost effective' disposal during the phase out.
Last edited by masterbinky on Thu Aug 21, 2014 11:16 am
jimisawesome
I always knew Big Lava Lamp was ebil.
caldepen
no one knows the source
Someone knows the source. It'll turn out to be Monsanto or some other source right under our nose. Where is Erin Brockovich?
potato44819
rick*d wrote:
It never ceases to amaze me WTF we used to think would be a good idea.
Wheels Of Confusion
You have sadly been misinformed.
Modern Major General Thanatos wrote:
I saw a clip of the old Watch Mr. Wizard television program a while back. He was showing the kid-of-the-week how a cloud chamber worked, complete with bare radioactive source that he handled without gloves or anything.
deuxbits
About 50 years ago, I remember this stuff in my parents "medicine closet" - I used it once to try to clean paint of a plastic "model" tooth. Was I surprised - didn't do that again. And I do remember the skull and crossbones on the bottle, but I had no intention of ingesting it - However I did use it in an enclosed space..... I'm pretty sure the stuff was not properly disposed of (if there was such a way)
Reminds me of that line from MIB: "Fifteen hundred years ago everybody knew the Earth was the center of the universe. Five hundred years ago, everybody knew the Earth was flat, and fifteen minutes ago, you knew that humans were alone on this planet. Imagine what you'll know tomorrow."
Forty years ago we knew carbon tetrachloride was safe enough to use in High School Chemistry classes.
speedemon105 wrote:
The Montreal protocol has been hailed by Kofi Annan as "... perhaps the single most successful international agreement to date".
Back when intn'l cooperation to save this planet was still possible (read: over corporate and national economical interests).
Midnitte
Tribus: NJ
FrankM wrote:
Do people typically mix bleach and soap? One is for disinfecting, one is for cleaning...
I suppose people aren't particularly smart though...
The truth is, the chemical companies knew that alternatives were available and they could make as much money or more off them as they did off the banned ones. Industry doesn't mind substitution, what they hate is imposition. They'll substitute one chemical for another, but they won't add something like filters or scrubbers that they see as purely cost with no profit angle.
Midnitte wrote:
People need warnings not to mix toilet cleaner with bleach (releases chlorine gas, which can kill you. killing your customers is bad for business)
mjb86
It's proof that Valve is making Portal 3...
HonorableSoul
Tribus: Bristow, VA - Somewhere between Basilisk Station and where the Water Sleeps
toilet cleaner with bleach (releases chlorine gas, which can kill you)
Didn't know that, but I clean my toilets with only watered down Bleach.
DanNeely
justcauseisjustthat wrote:
I think you're overthinking it. More likely is hundreds of millions of people just tossed old ACs/etc into landfills either due to the fact that at the time they did so it slowly leaking into the atmosphere wasn't considered a problem, not realizing it had to be disposed of specially instead of being just thrown away, or because they're more concerned about saving a buck than doing what's right.
Um, the WP article says it's manufacturers doing this in household cleaning products.
Though I've used the same sponge to clean with a surfactant, and then disinfect with bleach. I never gave it a thought. I know to keep the ammonia and bleach away from each other, but why would I worry about soap and bleach?
DSF1942 wrote:
Argh....! Yes - sadly misled.
Notice that the destruction of ozone occurs in "spring" for that hemisphere - when sunlight first reappears in the stratosphere over that pole. The ozone hole's size increases during spring as more sunlight causes reactions between the "stored" CFls and the ozone.
That's generally a safe initial guess.
Yes they do. With prompting by the large number of cleansers that are sold "w/bleach for extra cleaning power".
Comet with bleach is one of my personal favorites for heavy cleaning. Rubber gloves and goggles recommended as contact for extended times will clean your hands (including removal of skin if you give it enough time) very thoroughly
Caustic Lye is another cleanser that needs to be used with great care. Mixing it with soap is safe though as soap is the result of mixing lye and fat.