Fluorinated fire-figthing foams: manufacture, applications, ecological consequences

Abstract

Information on the production and use of fluorine-containing foaming agents intended for foam extinguishing of fires with oils and other flammable liquids as well as ecological consequences are reviewed in the article. It is shown that poly- and/or perfluorinated compounds usage for fire-fighting foam production led to the emergence of a large group of hazardous chemicals in the environment, including perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS). General information about fluorine-containing foaming agents, their manufacturers and labelling, properties, possible volumes of production and application on a global scale are given. It is shown that the use of fire-fighting foam to extinguish fires, as well as during training, leads to direct discharges of PFOS, PFOA and other fluorine-containing compounds into the environment. The results of studies carried out in various EU countries, Norway, the USA, Canada and Australia, which testify to high concentrations of PFOS, PFOA and other fluoride-containing compounds in groundwater and surface waters as well as in soils, are discussed. The highest levels of contamination are found in the sites where fluorine-containing foaming agents are used. The danger of fluoride-containing compounds entering the human body with contaminated drinking water and food products is shown.