United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Questions and Answers about the Effects of Ozone Depletion, UV Radiation, and Climate on Humans and the Environment. Supplement of the 2022 Assessment Report of the UNEP Environmental Effects Assessment Panel

This collection of Questions & Answers (Q&As) was prepared by the Environmental Effects Assessment Panel (EEAP) of the Montreal Protocol under the umbrella of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The document complements EEAP’s Quadrennial Assessment 2022 (https://ozone. unep.org/science/assessment/eeap) and provides interesting and useful information for policymakers, the general public, teachers, and scientists, written in an easy-to-understand language

Isoflurane, desflurane, and sevoflurane and global climate change: Atmospheric chemistry and environmental impact of inhaled anesthetics

The atm. chem. of isoflurane, desflurane and sevoflurane has been investigated using FTIR/smog chamber and laser photolysis/laser induced fluorescence techniques. The rates of reactions with OH radicals and Cl atoms, have been measured and the products resulting from the OH radicals and chlorine atom initiated oxidn. have been identified. For the first time, measured absorption cross sections of the anesthetics were weighted by an instantaneous cloudy-sky radiative forcing calcd. for a model atm., allowing for a more accurate evaluation of the global warming potentials for this selection of important medical compds. The results will be discussed with respect to the impact of inhaled anesthetics on the radiative forcing of climate change