Which statement about the ozone depletion potential (ODP) of R-12 is incorrect?

Which statement about the ozone depletion potential (ODP) of R-12 is incorrect?

• A. It is equal to 1
• B. It is a measure used to compare refrigerants' environmental impact
• C. It is a numeric value representing potential to deplete ozone
• D. It is unrelated to environmental impact

Answer: (D)

ODP expresses how much a substance can deplete the ozone layer, shown as a relative value with a reference substance set to 1.0. For R-12, the ODP is about 1.0, meaning it has the same ozone-depleting potential as the baseline reference. This metric is used precisely to compare how different refrigerants impact the ozone layer, so it is a numeric indicator of their ozone-depleting capability. Saying it has no relation to environmental impact misses the whole point of ODP, since the purpose of the value is to quantify that very impact and help choose refrigerants with lower or zero ozone depletion.

ODP expresses how much a substance can deplete the ozone layer, shown as a relative value with a reference substance set to 1.0. For R-12, the ODP is about 1.0, meaning it has the same ozone-depleting potential as the baseline reference. This metric is used precisely to compare how different refrigerants impact the ozone layer, so it is a numeric indicator of their ozone-depleting capability. Saying it has no relation to environmental impact misses the whole point of ODP, since the purpose of the value is to quantify that very impact and help choose refrigerants with lower or zero ozone depletion.