‘[It] has gone a bit under the radar’

California is known as a pioneer in environmental legislation aimed at a cleaner future. However, a new study has found that the state leads the United States in an unfortunate category: the production of a powerful, toxic heat-trapping gas called sulfuryl fluoride.

What is going on?

The findings, published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, show that California is responsible for 60% to 85% of the nation’s pollution from sulforyl fluoride, a gas often used as a pesticide and in the storage of some agricultural products.

Inside Climate News reported that the study was released after the California Air Resources Board rejected a request to transition away from the gas and refused to include the pollutant in its reporting on planet-warming pollution.

“This is a greenhouse gas that is not being treated as a greenhouse gas and has been kind of under the radar,” Johns Hopkins University health and engineering researcher Dylan Gaeta, lead author of the study, told the online platform.

Why is this important?

Methane has rightly received a lot of attention for its problematic impact on planetary temperatures, as it has approximately 28 times more warming potential than carbon dioxide or CO2.

However, that pales in comparison to the estimated impact of sulfur fluoride, according to Inside Climate News. Experts believe that this gas traps 7,510 times more heat than CO2, on a pound per pound basis, effectively thickening the insulation in the atmosphere. The 260 tons of sulfuryl fluoride California releases is equivalent to the planet-warming pollution from about 465,000 gas-powered vehicles.

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Rising global temperatures caused by human activities have led to an increase in severe weather events around the world, destroying crops and costing taxpayers money. Before the end of last summer, the US had already experienced a record number of multi-billion dollar disasters.

Sulfuryl fluoride is also harmful to human health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services outline a long list of serious problems associated with breathing the gas, including nausea, liver and kidney damage, reproductive problems and cancer.

What is being done about this?

CARB spokesperson Lys Mendez told Inside Climate News that the organization would continue to monitor information and research on the effects of sulfur fluoride and work with the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. Although the board rejected the Center for Biological Diversity’s formal petition, it could lead to meaningful action.

“As part of its commitment to address greenhouse gas emissions and their impact on human health, CARB will monitor information as it becomes available before it can determine any future action… including the availability of alternatives to pest control,” said Mendez.

In the meantime, a number of promising pest control solutions are in development. Scientists at the University of Tokyo are experimenting with pheromones to humanely trap rats, while researchers at Oregon State University have developed a musical robot that uses sound to limit the reproduction of pests.

If you are among the many people who enjoy the financial and health benefits of growing your own food, there are also plenty of chemical-free ways to control unwanted creatures in your garden.

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