Growing Atmospheric Emissions of Sulfuryl Fluoride. Issue 9 (5th May 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gressent, A.; Rigby, M.; Ganesan, A. L.; Prinn, R. G.; Manning, A. J.; Mühle, J.; Salameh, P. K.; Krummel, P. B.; Fraser, P. J.; Steele, L. P.; Mitrevski, B.; Weiss, R. F.; Harth, C. M.; Wang, R. H.; O'Doherty, S.; Young, D.; Park, S.; Li, S.; Yao, B.; Reimann, S.; Vollmer, M. K.; Maione, M.; Arduini, J.; Lunder, C. R.
• Is Part Of: Journal of geophysical research. Volume 126:Issue 9(2021)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2021-05-05
• Subjects: AGAGE -- emissions -- global atmosphere -- SO2F2; Atmospheric physics -- Periodicals; Geophysics -- Periodicals; 551.5
• DOI: 10.1029/2020JD034327
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2169-897X

Abstract

Abstract: The potent greenhouse gas sulfuryl fluoride (SO2 F2 ) is increasingly used as a fumigant, replacing methyl bromide, whose structural and soil fumigation uses have been phased out under the Montreal Protocol. We use measurements on archived air samples and in situ observations from the Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment (AGAGE) and a box model of the global atmosphere to show a global increase of SO2 F2 mole fraction from 0.3 ± 0.02 to 2.5 ± 0.08 ppt along with a global increase in emissions from 0.5 ± 0.4 Gg yr −1 to 2.9 ± 0.4 Gg yr −1 from 1978 to 2019. Based on a hybrid model incorporating bottom‐up industry data and a top‐down downscaling approach, we estimate the spatial distribution and trend in SO2 F2 regional emissions between 2000 and 2019 and propose that the global emissions increase is driven by the growing use of SO2 F2 in structural fumigation in North America and in postharvest treatment of grains and other agricultural products worldwide. Plain Language Summary: Sulfuryl fluoride (SO2 F2 ) is a potent greenhouse gas that has been used increasingly in fumigation since the global phase‐down in the nonquarantine/preshipment use of methyl bromide under the Montreal Protocol. Despite its potential to warm the climate, there is great uncertainty surrounding the magnitude and location of SO2 F2 emissions, which limits our ability to target emissions mitigation measures. We have used atmospheric observations from the Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment to show that global emissions increased from close to zero in the early 1980s to ∼2.4 Gg yr −1 in 2019. We find that the primary source of these global emissions in 2019 was structural fumigation in North America, but that the increase over the last two decades has also been driven by the growing use of SO2 F2 in postharvest treatment of crops in many countries around the world. Key Points: Between 1978 and 2019, the global annual mean sulfuryl fluoride mole fraction in the atmosphere increased from 0.3 ± 0.02 to 2.5 ± 0.08 ppt Between 1978 and 2019, global emissions, as inferred from atmospheric measurements, increased from 0.5 ± 0.4 Gg yr −1 to 2.9 ± 0.4 Gg yr −1 The global emissions increase is driven by the SO2 F2 growing use in structural fumigation in North America and in grain treatment worldwide