Are Freon Gases completely harmless to human body?

Answer 1

No! It is not harmless! Freon exposure can seriously effect the nervous system. Although freon exposure is more common in small amounts, such as leaks from household appliances, exposure can also come in much larger amounts during car or air conditioner repair.

The most serious side effect of freon exposure would occur at the time of initial exposure. People who have a history of heart problems should be very concerned about Freon because it can cause cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), and palpitations at very high concentrations. For people who have a history of heart problems, being exposed to small amounts of Freon from leaking appliances should not pose any significant health risk.

Fortunately, Freon does not have serious long term health consequences. It is not a carcinogen, teratogen, or mutagen, and it does not damage the liver. When it is inhaled, it is rapidly excreted by exhalation, and it is not significantly accumulated in the body. This means that breathing low concentrations of freon from a leaking refrigerator or air conditioner over a long period of time is unlikely to have a cumulative effect, and thus few, if any, long term health effects.

When trying to figure out how much Freon you have been exposed to, there are several things to keep in mind. First, there is a finite amount of Freon contained in the refrigeration system, so you can't be exposed to any more than what is actually in the system. Second, Freon is about 4 times heavier than air, so it is going to sink to the floor initially, though it is highly volatile and will disperse rapidly. What this means is that the closer to the floor that you are, the more Freon you are likely to breathe in. This is a concern especially for children and pets, children because they are smaller and thus require smaller doses for acute effects to occur, and pets, especially dogs, because they are more sensitive to the heart sensitizing effects of Freon than humans are.

If you discover that you have a Freon leak, contact a technician for repairs immediately. Open up windows and doors and use fans to help move the air out of the area. Remove yourself and your pets to an area of fresh air, and if you feel any unusual health effects, seek medical care. If you have chronic heart conditions, consider having your Freon containing appliances checked regularly for leaks. == ==