Aerosol is a suspension of particles of liquid or solid in a gas.[1]
Climate change
- small droplets or particles suspended in the atmosphere, typically containing sulfur ("natural aerosols"), or
- a product that relies on a pressurized gas to propel substances out of a container ("man-made aerosols").
Natural Aerosols
Aerosols are emitted naturally (e.g., in volcanic eruptions) and as the result of human activities (e.g., by burning fossil fuels). There is no connection between particulate aerosols and pressurized products also called aerosols (see below).
Man-made Aerosols
Consumer aerosol products in the US have not used ozone-depleting substances (ODS) since the late 1970s because of voluntary switching followed by federal regulation. The Clean Air Act and EPA regulations further restricted the use of ODS for non-consumer products. All consumer products, and most other aerosol products, now use propellants that do not deplete the ozone layer, such as hydrocarbons and compressed gases.