Nitrogen trifluoride in the global atmosphere

Abstract

Background atmospheric abundances and trends of nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), a potent anthropogenic greenhouse gas, have been measured for the first time. The mean global tropospheric concentration of NF3 has risen quasi‐exponentially from about 0.02 ppt (parts‐per‐trillion, dry air mole fraction) at the beginning of our measured record in 1978, to a July 1, 2008 value of 0.454 ppt, with a rate of increase of 0.053 ppt yr−1, or about 11% per year, and an interhemispheric gradient that is consistent with these emissions occurring overwhelmingly in the Northern Hemisphere, as expected. This rise rate corresponds to about 620 metric tons of current NF3 emissions globally per year, or about 16% of the poorly‐constrained global NF3 production estimate of 4,000 metric tons yr−1. This is a significantly higher percentage than has been estimated by industry, and thus strengthens the case for inventorying NF3 production and for regulating its emissions.

The practicalities of using CFCs and SF6 for groundwater dating and tracing

“…Other atmospheric trace gases have been proposed as residence time indicators (Busenberg & Plummer, 2008) or appear to have that potential (Weiss et al, 2008). CFC-13 (CF 3 Cl), currently present in the atmosphere at about the same concentration as SF 6 , has been rising steadily presumably because at the current very low concentration it is not yet regarded as a threat to the ozone layer.…”

Atmospheric lifetimes, infrared absorption spectra, radiative forcings and global warming potentials of NF<sub>3</sub> and CF<sub>3</sub>CF<sub>2</sub>Cl (CFC-115)

“…NF 3 is being used increasingly as a replacement for banned perfluorocarbons (PFCs) which were utilised in processes such as chemical cleaning and circuit etching. It is an extremely potent greenhouse gas with an estimated 100-year global warming potential (GWP) between 10 800 and 17 000 (Arnold et al, 2013;Robson et al, 2006;Weiss et al, 2008). Weiss et al (2008) reported a 2008 mean global tropospheric mixing ratio of 0.45 ppt increasing at a rate of 0.053 ppt yr −1 .…”

“…It is an extremely potent greenhouse gas with an estimated 100-year global warming potential (GWP) between 10 800 and 17 000 (Arnold et al, 2013;Robson et al, 2006;Weiss et al, 2008). Weiss et al (2008) reported a 2008 mean global tropospheric mixing ratio of 0.45 ppt increasing at a rate of 0.053 ppt yr −1 . The present-day mixing ratio will therefore be close to 1 ppt, assuming no change in emission rate.…”

Quantifying greenhouse-gas emissions from atmospheric measurements: a critical reality check for climate legislation

“…In the case of SF 6 , these relationships are discussed by Maiss & Brenninkmeijer [51] and Rigby et al [48] Nitrogen trifluoride (NF 3 ) is not regulated by the Kyoto Protocol, and its emissions from Annex I countries are therefore not required to be reported to the UNFCCC, but its long lifetime of about 550 years and high GWP of about 16 800 on a 100 yr time horizon [52], and its use as a replacement in electronics manufacturing for perfluorocarbons that are currently regulated, make it a strong candidate for future emissions regulation. The first measurements of the trend of NF 3 in the global atmosphere were made by the AGAGE programme [53]. They showed that its present global abundance is about 0.5 ppt and that its emissions in 2006 were roughly four times greater than the only published bottom-up global NF 3 emission estimate for that year.…”