Nobel Laureate Discovered Damage to the Ozone Layer
F. Sherwood Rowland dies at 84; work led to phaseout of chemicals
Gary Robbins, U-T San Diego
Nobel laureate F. Sherwood Rowland, who discovered that a class of common household chemicals was destroying the ozone layer and endangering the planet, died Saturday at his home in Corona del Mar of complications from Parkinson’s disease. He was 84.
Rowland’s death was announced Sunday by his home campus, UC Irvine, a school he helped to build at the same time UC San Diego was being prepared for its first undergraduates.
Rowland and his graduate student, Mario Molino, discovered that the chemicals, known as chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, basically caused parts of the ozone layer to dissolve or change, reducing the protection it provided from ultraviolet radiation.
CFCs were then used in everything from hair spray cans to refrigeration units. The discovery led to a prolonged fight in which the chemical industry downplayed the threat of CFCs. The industry also criticized Rowland’s work. But other scientists confirmed that Rowland and Molino were right, which has led to worldwide efforts to phase out the use of CFCs in most products.
Their research earn Rowland, Molino and collaborator Paul Crutzen the 1995 Nobel Prize in chemistry, an honor that sort of befuddled Rowland. Although he stood 6-foot-5 and had a deep, intimidating voice, he was an easygoing man who did not like to be the center of attention. He often frustrated reporters by guiding them to complex scientific papers that formed the basis of his work, rather than simply bask in the limelight of his accomplishments.
“His Nobel Prize-winning research is noteworthy not only for its scientific impact and clarity, but also for the direct effect it has on living things,” said Michael Drake, UCI’s chancellor. “His contributions as an architect and citizen of our campus, as teacher, mentor, colleague and friend, have been instrumental in making us who we are. He was a wonderful man. We would not be who we are without him.”
