Which metric describes the potential of a refrigerant to deplete the ozone layer?

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Ozone depletion potential describes how much a refrigerant can destroy ozone in the stratosphere. It reflects how the chemical breaks down, releasing halogens like chlorine or bromine that catalytically break down ozone molecules, and it also captures how long the substance persists in the atmosphere. The scale uses a reference substance (a commonly known refrigerant) set to 1.0, so substances with lower or higher values indicate less or more ozone-destroying potential relative to that reference. Many modern refrigerants have an ODP near zero, meaning they do not significantly harm the ozone layer, while older halogenated compounds can have substantial ODP values. By contrast, other metrics measure different concerns: global warming potential gauges climate impact, toxicity index relates to health hazards, and pressure rating is a mechanical specification.