OPPT Chemical Fact Sheet EPA 749-F-94-012 CHEMICALS IN THE ENVIRONMENT: FREON 113 (CAS NO. 76-13-1) prepared by OFFICE OF POLLUTION PREVENTION AND TOXICS U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY August 1994 _______________________________________________________________________ Chemicals can be released to the environment as a result of their manufacture, processing, and use. EPA has developed information summaries on selected chemicals to describe how you might be exposed to these chemicals, how exposure to them might affect you and the environment, what happens to them in the environment, who regulates them, and whom to contact for additional information. EPA is committed to reducing environmental releases of chemicals through source reduction and other practices that reduce creation of pollutants. _______________________________________________________________________ WHAT IS FREON 113, HOW IS IT USED, AND HOW MIGHT I BE EXPOSED? Freon 113 (also called CFC-113) is a colorless, nonflammable liquid. It does not occur naturally but is produced in large amounts (177 million pounds in 1992) by two companies in the United States. Because of ozone depletion concerns, EPA has restricted future US production of freon 113. After 1995, US production of freon 113 will be significantly lower. The largest users of freon 113 are companies that use the chemical to clean metal surfaces. Until recently freon 113 has been used as a coolant in commercial and industrial air conditioners and as an ingredient in aerosols sprays. . Foam makers use freon 113 as a blowing agent. Companies also use freon 113 to make high temperature lubricants and fluorocarbon resins. Exposure to freon 113 can occur in the workplace or in the environment following releases to air, water, land, or groundwater. Exposure can also occur when people use products that contain freon 113. Freon 113 enters the body when breathed in with contaminated air or when consumed with contaminated food or water. It can also be absorbed through skin contact. It does not remain in the body due to its removal in expired air. WHAT HAPPENS TO FREON 113 IN THE ENVIRONMENT? Freon 113 evaporates when exposed to air. It dissolves only slightly when mixed with water. Most direct releases of freon 113 to the environment are to air. Freon 113 also evaporates from water and soil exposed to air. Once in air, it moves slowly to the upper atmosphere. Because it is a liquid that does not bind well to soil, freon 113 that makes its way into the ground can move through the ground and enter groundwater. Plants and animals are not likely to store freon 113. HOW DOES FREON 113 AFFECT HUMAN HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT? Effects of freon 113 on human health and the environment depend on how much freon 113 is present and the length and frequency of exposure. Effects also depend on the health of a person or the condition of the environment when exposure occurs. Breathing large amounts of freon 113 for short periods of time adversely affects the human nervous system. Effects range from dizziness to incoordination and irregular heart beat. These effects are not likely to occur at levels of freon 113 that are normally found in the environment. Freon 113 is not likely to cause adverse human health effects following repeat exposure to smaller amounts of the chemical over long periods of time. Freon 113 is not likely to cause immediate environmental harm at levels normally found in the environment. However, it is likely to remain in the air long enough to reach the upper atmosphere. Here it can be a source of chlorine atoms that damage the Earth's ozone layer. Ozone damage in the upper atmosphere can lead to increased levels of harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation reaching the Earth's surface. Increased, surface UV radiation can adversely affect human health and the environment. WHAT EPA PROGRAM OFFICES REGULATE FREON 113, AND UNDER WHAT LAWS IS IT REGULATED? __________________________________________________________________________ EPA OFFICE LAW PHONE NUMBER __________________________________________________________________________ Pollution Prevention Toxic Substances Control Act (202) 554-1404 & Toxics Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) Regulations (Sec. 313) (800) 424-9346 Toxics Release Inventory data (202) 260-1531 Air Clean Air Act (919) 541-0888 Solid Waste & Resource Conservation and Recovery Emergency Response Act / EPCRA (Sec. 311/312) (800) 424-9346 A technical support document can be requested from the TSCA Assistance Information Service, (202) 554-1404. WHAT OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES OR GROUPS CAN I CONTACT FOR INFORMATION ON FREON 113? __________________________________________________________________________ AGENCY/GROUP PHONE NUMBER __________________________________________________________________________ Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (404) 639-6000 American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (513) 742-2020 Consumer Product Safety Commission (301) 504-0994 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) (800) 356-4674 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Check your local phone book under U.S. Department of Labor)