"The Montreal Protocol was probably one of the best regulations out there to involve all the countries at once," said Heidi Pickard, one of nine researchers to publish the findings in a paper Thursday. The Montreal Protocol, which came into force in 1989, banned chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, that were used in refrigerators, air conditioners and aerosol sprays. Short-chain fluorinated alkyl acids have been found contaminating two of Earth's remotest places — the Devon Island ice cap and Mount Oxford on Ellesmere Island. Finding these acids in two of Earth's remotest places — the Devon Island ice cap and Mount Oxford on Ellesmere Island — should be a warning, the scientists say. "When the Montreal Protocol came into effect, there wasn't enough research available to understand [the consequences]," said De Silva.

Source: CBC News May 15, 2020 13:43 UTC