Given below are two statements:

Statement I: The concentration Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in the atmosphere has increased in the years.

Statement II: CFCs already present in the atmosphere will persist for many years.

In the light of the above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below

The correct answer is Statement I is false but Statement II is true.

Explanation of Statement I:
Statement I is false because the concentration of Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in the atmosphere has actually been decreasing in recent decades. This decline is a direct consequence of the successful global implementation of the Montreal Protocol (established in 1987), an international environmental treaty that phased out the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances, including CFCs.

Explanation of Statement II:
Statement II is true because CFCs are chemically highly stable and unreactive in the lower atmosphere (troposphere). They do not dissolve in water, which means they are not removed from the atmosphere by rain or clouds. Due to this chemical stability, CFC molecules have exceptionally long atmospheric lifetimes (often ranging from 50 to over 100 years), meaning the gases already emitted will persist in the atmosphere for many decades.