People suffering from asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have been taking help from cfcs (chlorofluorocarbons), an ozone-depleting chemical, to breathe easier. cfc is used as a delivery agent, or propellant, in inhalers. But an international agreement signed in 1987 makes it mandatory to stop using cfc after January 2010. The clock is ticking fast for companies making inhalers, while an estimated 500 million people suffer from respiratory diseases worldwide.
Since the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer was signed, researchers across the world have assessed 15,000 chemicals to replace cfcs. They found two types of hfa (hydrofluoroalkane) met the requirements of propellants used in inhalers.The protocol has provisions to allow cfc in essential products like inhalers till 2012 but a country needs permission to use them. India has applied to the unep. It is likely to get permission for using 340 tonnes of cfc per year. This is half the amount the country uses in inhalers.
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