The Immortals
Greenhouse Gases That Live Forever
A class of highly potent and largely unregulated greenhouse gases released by the aluminum, chemical and electric power industries remain in the atmosphere for thousands of years. Once they are released, they are essentially permanent additions to the atmosphere. Simple measures like the use of best available emissions abatement technology and leak detection equipment could bring emissions of these “immortal” pollutants to near zero.
A 3M Plant in Illinois Was The Country’s Worst Emitter of a Climate-Killing ‘Immortal’ Chemical in 2021
The company was also sued this year by the state’s attorney general for discharging PFAS, contaminating groundwater and the Mississippi River. It says it will stop manufacturing and using PFAS in its products by 2025.
By Phil McKenna
![3M's chemical plant in Cordova, Illinois released 73 tons of perfluoromethane (CF4) into the atmosphere, more than any other industrial facility in the county, in 2021. CF4 is 7,380 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas and remains in the atmosphere for 50,000 years. Credit: Phil McKenna](jpg/the-immortals_3m-cordova_3m-cordova-plant5_mckenna-900x600.jpg)