ABSTRACT
Trifluoromethane may be released to the environment as emissions resulting from waste incineration or during its use as a refrigerant. It may be released to the soil from the disposal of refrigeration units containing this compound. In the troposphere, trifluoromethane reacts slowly with photochemically generated hydroxyl radicals. This relatively slow half-life in the lower atmosphere suggests that some trifluoromethane may gradually diffuse into the stratosphere. The most probable route of human exposure to trifluoromethane by the general population is inhalation. In occupational settings, it is expected that exposure occurs by inhalation of contaminated air and dermal contact with this compound.
