1978: Sweden bans aerosol sprays as evidence increasingly suggests these sprays are damaging the ozone layer. It is the first country in the world to do so.

Interestingly enough, the modern aerosol spray can was invented in 1926 by Norwegian chemical engineer Erik Rotheim. The first practical use of the technology didn't occur until World War II, when the Americans used aerosol spraying to kill malaria-carrying mosquitos in the Pacific.

Aerosol cans contain liquid under pressure, which is used to expel the contents. Chlorofluorocarbons were originally used as the propelling agent, but the effects were proven to damage the ozone layer.

Virtually every country on earth banned the use of chlorofluorocarbon-propelled aerosol cans with the adoption of the Montreal Protocol in 1989. Modern aerosols cans use a variety of non-polluting agents, including propane, n-butane and isobutene.

(Source: Wikipedia)

This article first appeared on Wired.com Jan. 23, 2007.