AFFF, or Aqueous Film-Forming Foam, is an
effective firefighting agent used by firefighters from both
military and civilian units to suppress fires.
It has been found that this
popular firefighting foam contains harmful
chemicals such as PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl
substances) that are believed to cause several types of cancer
as a result of regular eposure. These
chemicals remain both in the human body and the
environment after use, often working their way into the local
water supply of nearby communities through groundwater
contamination.
Aqueous film-forming foam, or AFFF, has been manufactured with
perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances
(PFAS) since the 1950s. Two particular PFAS
compounds found within the foam are perfluorooctanoic acid
(PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid
(PFOS). These synthetic chemicals work to
suppress flammable-liquid fires by creating a barrier between
the fuel and the oxygen it needs to burn.
Both PFOA and PFOS have been identified by the EPA as
“emerging contaminants”, meaning they are
suspected of causing negative health effects in humans.
Additionally, these chemicals are
“persistent” so they don’t break down after
entering the human body or the environment. When firefighting
foam is used, PFOA and PFOS spread throughout nearby soil, often
contaminating local drinking water sources. Once ingested, the
potentially toxic AFFF PFAS will remain in your system and
continue to “bioaccumulate” upon further
exposure.
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