Editing Fluorocarbon (section)

===Environmental and health concerns===
Fluoroalkanes are generally inert and non-toxic.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fluorocarbons.org/chemical-families/pfcs/pfc-toxicological-profile |title=EFCTC - Toxicological profiles of PFCS Perfluorocarbons |access-date=2014-05-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924013903/http://www.fluorocarbons.org/chemical-families/pfcs/pfc-toxicological-profile |archive-date=2015-09-24 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.epa.gov/HPV/pubs/summaries/perfluro/c13244tp.pdf|title=HPV Robust Summaries and Test Plan|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121202022600/https://www.epa.gov/HPV/pubs/summaries/perfluro/c13244tp.pdf|publisher=Internet Archive|archive-date=2012-12-02|access-date=2019-01-03}}</ref><ref name=Yamanouchi>{{cite journal |author1=Yamanouchi K|author2=Yokoyama K|journal=Proceedings of the Xth International Congress for Nutrition, Kyoto |title=Symposium on Perfluorochemical Artificial Blood |pages=91 |year=1975}}</ref>

Fluoroalkanes are not [[ozone depletion|ozone depleting]], as they contain no chlorine or bromine atoms, and they are sometimes used as replacements for ozone-depleting chemicals.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.expertglossary.com/climate-change/definition/perfluorocarbons-pfcs |title=Perfluorocarbons (PFCS) definition - ExpertGlossary |access-date=2022-12-14 |archive-date=2014-05-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140519132431/http://www.expertglossary.com/climate-change/definition/perfluorocarbons-pfcs |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The term fluorocarbon is used rather loosely to include any chemical containing fluorine and carbon, including [[chlorofluorocarbon]]s, which are ozone depleting.

Perfluoroalkanes used in medical procedures are rapidly excreted from the body, primarily via expiration with the rate of excretion as a function of the vapour pressure; the half-life for [[octafluoropropane]] is less than 2 minutes,<ref name=platts>{{cite journal | author1=Platts DG|author2=Fraser JF|title = Contrast Echocardiography in Critical Care: Echoes of the Future?: A Review of the Role of Microsphere Contrast Echocardiography|journal=Critical Care and Resuscitation |volume=13 |year= 2011 |issue=1 |pages= 44–55 |pmid=21355829 }}</ref> compared to about a week for perfluorodecalin.<ref name=Geyer>{{cite journal |author=Geyer RP |journal=Proc. Xth Intern. Congress for Nutr., Kyoto |title=Symp on Perfluorochemical Artif. Blood |pages=3–19 |year=1975}}</ref>

[[Image:Halogenated gas concentrations 1978-present.png|thumb|right|upright=2.2|Atmospheric concentration of PFC-14 and PFC-116 compared to similar man-made halogenated gases between years 1978 and 2015 (right graph). Note the logarithmic scale.]]
Low-boiling perfluoroalkanes are potent [[greenhouse gases]], in part due to their very long atmospheric lifetime, and their use is covered by the [[Kyoto Protocol]].{{citation needed|date=May 2017}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol/items/2830.php|title=Kyoto Protocol|last=Change|first=United Nations Framework Convention on Climate|website=unfccc.int|access-date=2017-09-27}}</ref> The [[global warming potential]] (compared to that of carbon dioxide) of many gases can be found in the IPCC 5th assessment report,<ref name="ipcc2013">Myhre, G., D. Shindell, F.-M. Bréon, W. Collins, J. Fuglestvedt, J. Huang, D. Koch, J.-F. Lamarque, D. Lee, B. Mendoza, T. Nakajima, A. Robock, G. Stephens, T. Takemura and H. Zhang (2013) [http://www.climatechange2013.org/images/report/WG1AR5_Chapter08_FINAL.pdf "Anthropogenic and Natural Radiative Forcing"] (see Table 8.A.1). In: ''Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change''. Stocker, T.F., D. Qin, G.-K. Plattner, M. Tignor, S.K. Allen, J. Boschung, A. Nauels, Y. Xia, V. Bex and P.M. Midgley (eds.). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA.</ref> with an extract below for a few perfluoroalkanes.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Chemical formula !! Lifetime (y) !! GWP (100 years)
|-
| PFC-14 || {{chem2|CF4}} || 50000 || 6630
|-
| PFC-116 || {{chem2|C2F6}} || 10000 || 11100
|-
| PFC-c216 || {{chem2|c\-C3F6}} || 3000 || 9200
|-
| PFC-218 || {{chem2|C3F6}} || 2600 || 8900
|-
| PFC-318 || {{chem2|c\-C4F8}} || 3200 || 9540
|}

The aluminium smelting industry has been a major source of atmospheric perfluorocarbons ([[tetrafluoromethane]] and [[hexafluoroethane]] especially), produced as by-product of the electrolysis process.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aluminum-production.com/anode_effect.html|title=The Anode Effect|website=aluminum-production.com|access-date=2014-05-20|archive-date=2019-02-22|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190222083751/http://www.aluminum-production.com/anode_effect.html |url-status=dead}}</ref> However, the industry has been actively involved in reducing emissions in recent years.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.climatevision.gov/sectors/aluminum/pdfs/tmsfirst.pdf |title=Perfluorocarbon (PFC) Generation at Primary Aluminum Smelters |access-date=|vauthors = Leber BP, etal|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130216164759/http://www.climatevision.gov/sectors/aluminum/pdfs/tmsfirst.pdf |archive-date=2013-02-16 }} climatevision.gov</ref>