[CPEO-MEF] PFAS: "It’s Time To Switch to PFAS-Free Firefighting Foams"

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

By Melanie Benesh
Environmental Working Group
APRIL 22, 2020

Firefighting foam is one of the most significant sources of water contamination from the toxic fluorinated chemicals known as PFAS. PFAS-based firefighting foams have been widely used by the military, fire training centers and airports for five decades, even though the Pentagon has known since the 1970s that PFAS is toxic.

PFAS is the key ingredient in a special kind of firefighting foam - aqueous film-forming foam, or AFFF, typically used on high-heat fuel fires. For decades, AFFF discharged during fire emergencies and routine training exercises has resulted in large releases of PFAS into nearby drinking water sources. In some kinds of training exercises, entire hangars are filled with PFAS-laden AFFF and then released into the environment.

…

For the entire article, see
https://www.ewg.org/news-and-analysis/2020/04/it-s-time-switch-pfas-free-firefighting-foams

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Lenny Siegel
Executive Director
Center for Public Environmental Oversight
A project of the Pacific Studies Center
LSiegel@cpeo.org
P.O. Box 998, Mountain View, CA 94042
Voice/Fax: 650-961-8918
http://www.cpeo.org





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