Freon itself is a global-warming gas (and ozone wrecker) that is slated to be outlawed worldwide by 2040.

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Earlier this month, a 12-year-old San Bernardino County girl, Kristal Salcido, died after inhaling Freon from an air conditioner.

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That motivates companies to produce as much as possible of the ostensible product--the refrigerant HFC22, a.k.a. freon--to get at the real moneymaker, HFC23.

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This was an easy thing to do, as chemical giant DuPont was eager to replace its patent-expired CFC Freon, once it patented a substitute hydroclorflourocarbon.

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Heating and cooling experts say central air-conditioning systems should be serviced annually to remove dirt, change filters and check the level of Freon, a refrigerant.

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In 1928, Thomas Midgley, Albert Henne, and Robert McNary synthesized the first chlorofluorocarbons (trademarked as Freon in 1930), ushering in safe refrigerators and air conditioning (other coolants eventually replaced Freon).

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