The Impact of AFFF on the Environment and Public Health

The compounding nature of toxic forever chemicals in Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) is what makes it such a danger to public health and the environment. When AFFF is discharged, it leaches into anything—and anyone—it comes into contact with, including innocent firefighters. Between emergency response, training, extinguisher testing, and accidental releases and spills, thousands of people have been exposed to PFAS toxins, and they are just now realizing the risks these chemicals pose.

Every incident of exposure to aqueous film-forming foam is another chance for these chemicals to be absorbed into the body.

Because the manufacturers of fire suppressant foam did not disclose the hazardous nature of AFFF, pollution cleanup and containment practices have historically lacked safety measures to protect workers from the toxins in the foam. The fallout of this negligence will be felt for decades.

The Science Behind AFFF and Environmental Damage

Firefighting foam manufacturers used two of the most prevalent fluorinated, organic compounds to make AFFF. The persistence of these PFAS substances makes them a dangerous pollutant in the environment, affecting wildlife and humans. These chemicals resist degradation processes and bioaccumulate in the body over time, causing cancer and other diseases. Every training exercise, suppression system test, supply line leak, and firefighting response introduced toxins into the environment. Most users were not informed the chemicals were toxic or hazardous, so cleanup methods were inadequate, compounding the public health hazard.

The Preventive Measures Against AFFF Contamination

Had manufacturers of firefighting foam been upfront about the dangers of discharging and disposing of AFFF, remediation for environmental damage and health risks could have begun decades ago. These are some of the contamination prevention methods used today:

Firehouses have updated their standard operating procedures to limit the use of AFFF to only situations where human life or critical infrastructure is at stake.
Take-back programs and inventory monitoring were introduced at some municipal firehouses to help local departments identify and remove AFFF from use.
Subtitle C—hazardous waste—disposal sites now include leak detection systems, double and triple synthetic liners, and other environmental protections.
More than 30 states have enacted or proposed regulations related to PFAS in firefighting foams.
Some fire stations have made the switch to fluorine-free alternatives for firefighting foams that do not contain PFAS.

While it is reassuring to see national and federal support for protecting the environment from PFAS contamination, unfortunately, for many people working at or near military bases, airports, and firefighting facilities, these measures are too late.

The AFFF multidistrict litigation (MDL) for PFAS contamination includes three categories, two of which relate to polluted natural resources; the third category includes individuals who have experienced personal injuries due to AFFF exposure.