GM toxic dependance on 1234yf for car air conditioning

Brussels, 27 July 2010: General Motors has just announced its intention to use the new chemical refrigerant HFC1234yf in the air-conditioning systems of Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac from 2013 onwards. The chemical manufacturers Honeywell and DuPont supply the substance and claim it to be an environmental friendly decision, when in reality it is everything but.

Honeywell’s and DuPont’s new revenue stream comes at the cost of human safety and environmental protection. Tests by different independent bodies point to results that have found HFC1234yf to be not only flammable at low concentrations in air but also encompassing incalculable risks for humans if vented into the vehicle compartment. The environmental impact of HFC1234yf comes when, vented into the atmosphere, it decomposes into trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) which, leached out from the atmosphere by the rain, develops a herbicide effect.

BeyondHFCs has repeatedly pointed to grave problems associated with the development of toxic and corrosive hydrofluoric acid from HFC1234yf in case of a car accident, which would not only entail dangers for passengers and rescue personnel but would also form dangerous decomposition products.

“General Motors' decision to ignore all safety and environmental warnings concerning HFC-1234yf is very worrying. We hope that the car industry will not suffer from a toxic dependance on 1234yf" states Christianna Papazahariou, head of the international campaign BeyondHFCs.

To date, natural refrigerant technologies based on CO2 and hydrocarbons have proven to be reliable, safe for passengers and the environment. This makes the decision by GM to opt for HFC1234yf all the more incomprehensible. On top of this, DuPont and Honeywell hold the patents for this substance in all major markets, which gives them the power to dictate the price and makes car manufacturers totally dependent on them.

In the light of these facts, BeyondHFCs calls upon the car industry to thoroughly consider the environmental as well as economic implications before choosing a potentially hazardous, expensive and unsustainable substance for future cars' air-conditioning systems.