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The Effects of Freon Refrigerant

Freon is a liquid or gas that acts as a pressurizer or coolant. Freon, the brand name of a Dupont chemical product, was the refigerant of choice for car air conditioners and refigeration systems. Scientists since have deemed Freon environmentally harmful, and many nations have banned or restricted its use. Freon also can affect the health of indiviuals, although the degree to which it affects different peoples varies considerably.

  1. Limited Exposure

    • A faulty refrigerator is among the most common causes of limited Freon exposure. According to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Poison Control Center, people who breathe Freon may experience "lightheadedness, dizziness, headache and nausea." While people working in closed environments with high exposure may be at risk, in most cases, minor Freon inhalation is not particularly dangerous because most refrigerators "do not contain significant quantities of freon."

    Severe Exposure

    • People who work with Freon in closed refrigerated areas may be at more risk than those who have have short-term exposure. According to the United States National Library of Medicine's website "Medline Plus" serious exposure to Freon can irritate the skin, burn the esophagus and even cause necrosis, the wasting away of skin and tissue.

    Environmental Harm

    • The 1994 Environmental Protection Agency fact-sheet "Chemicals in The Environment: Freon 113" states the unnaturally high levels of Freon 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." According to the EPA's Glossary of Climate Change Terms, "too much ultraviolet radiation can burn the skin, cause skin cancer and cataracts, and damage vegetation."

    Effects of Freon as an Inhalant

    • Carbondale Illinois' Channel 12 "Heartland News," in their report "Kids Huff Freon to Get High" quoted Dr. Donna Carney at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale as saying those abusing Freon "feel a euphoria, light-headiness and they may pass out." Dr. Carney went on to warn "Even the first time that they would do it they could die. The long term if they continue to do this is memory problems, they can suffer permanent liver damage, kidney damage, lung damage and brain damage. And all of this is irreversible,"

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