††††In 1926 Norwegian Erik Rotheim first thought of the aerosol. Julius S. Kahn looked at the idea in 1939, and suggested that an inert gas could be injected into a disposable container and then released as fine particles.
The first aerosol cans went into production in 1941 when Americans L. D. Goodhue and W. N. Sullivan introduced an insect spray to protect troops in the Pacific from disease. In recent years, scientists have become worried that some of the propellants used in aerosol cans may be polluting the atmosphere.
The most harmful propellants were found to be chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). These have now been banned in many countries and safer versions have been developed.
