The Regulation of CFCs and Chlorinated Solvents in the 1990s

The worldwide production and the consumption of CFCs are now controlled through the Montreal Protocol. A meeting in London in June 1990 of the signatories of the Protocol will almost certainly tighten the controls on CFCs and introduce regulations to control other common chlorinated solvents. This paper gives the reasons why worldwide control of emissions of chlorinated substances is necessary, the events that led up to the present controls and the prognosis for future regulations. The properties and uses of the six key chlorinated solvents are discussed. Each industrial solvent‐using sector has a range of options available to implement cutbacks and eventual elimination of chlorinated solvents.