Ask A Scientist© Chemistry Archive

status      student
age         19

Question -  The DuPont's Freon (TM) of our refrigerator has just leak in the freezer
where there are some foods inside. Are still the food/fruits inside
the freezer which just exposed on DuPont's Freon (TM) gas safe to eat.
I would discard all of the foods for your peace of mind.

prof. topper
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It shouldn't cause a problem.  The DuPont's Freon (TM) should not concentrate in the foods,
and even if it does,it's not likely to be a hazard.

Freons are very inert compounds under ordinary circumstances.  In your
lungs, thay chemically act like nitrogen.  That is, they do not carry out
any chemistry or interact with anything in your body, they just take up
space.

The high stability of freons is part of the reason they damage the ozone
layer.  They persist long enough in the atmosphere to eventually mix into
the stratosphere.  There, the hard ultraviolet radiation that cannot reach
the earth's surface can break the freons onto fragments, which catalyze the
destruction of ozone.

Richard E. Barrans Jr., Ph.D.
Assistant Director
PG Research Foundation, Darien, Illinois
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It is quite likely that the food was also exposed to the oils from the
compressor.  I would advise disposing of the food.
Bradburn
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