[2] It is produced by reaction of chloroform with HF:[3] It is also generated biologically in small amounts apparently by decarboxylation of trifluoroacetic acid.

[4] Fluoroform was first obtained by Maurice Meslans in the violent reaction of iodoform with dry silver fluoride in 1894.

Global emissions of HFC-23 have in the past been dominated by the inadvertent production and release during the manufacture of the refrigerant HCFC-22 (chlorodifluoromethane).

[11] However, research in 2024 strongly indicates that the HFC-23 emission decrease is much less than has been reported and does not meet the internationaly agreed Kigali Amendment of 2020.

Developing countries have become the largest producers of HCFC-23 in recent years according to data compiled by the Ozone Secretariat of the World Meteorological Organization.

To mitigate its impact, CHF3 can be destroyed with electric plasma arc technologies or by high temperature incineration.