Vital information has been obtained about the origin of a potent new greenhouse gas with a global warming potential 18 000 times greater than carbon dioxide.

The origins of super greenhouse gas SF5CF3 are still unclear

The origins of super greenhouse gas SF₅CF₃ are still unclear

Since its recent discovery in the stratosphere, great attention has been focused on the so-called 'super greenhouse gas' SF₅CF₃ . While scientists know that the molecule comes only from man-made sources, it is still unclear how it is formed.

There has been speculation that SF₅CF₃ is a breakdown product of SF₆, which is widely used as a high voltage insulator in electrical equipment. However, Federico Pepi and colleagues from the University of Rome, Italy, have used corona discharge processes to conclusively establish that SF₆ cannot be the origin for the molecule.

Despite ruling out one source of the molecule, scientists are still puzzled about where it is coming from. As Pepi admits, the challenge ahead is 'the discovery of new processes that lead to the emission of this molecule in the atmosphere'.

Philip Earis