Foam Agents and Hardware - Fire Suppression System, Fire Alarm Systems, Security Systems, Building Management System, Home Management System, Perimeter Protection, Cables, Protecting The World,Fire Detection Alarm, Fire Protection, Home Automation, Services, Costing Our Trademark, Trust, Quality, Commitment

........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Firefighting foams are highly effective in preventing, suppressing and extinguishing fuel pool fires. When used in well-designed systems with the proper equipment, they can be the most effective method for doing so, and can be used in an environmentally responsible way. Since all firefighting foams (actually all firefighting systems) have some degree of environmental impacts and liabilities, an essential step in the design and planning for the use of firefighting foams must take into account the protection of the environment.

Marketing claims have been made about certain firefighting foams, stating that they are more environmentally friendly than others. The claim is usually that environmental laws do not regulate the solvent or the surfactant used in the ‘environmentally friendly’ foam. However, all firefighting foams are regulated at one point or another during their life, especially when they are used in training or for a fire event, regardless ofthe particular solvent or surfactant used in the foam. These firefighting foams are regulated because they have ingredients directly listed in environmental laws, or have properties; including foaming itself, that can cause an environmental impact or liability during storage, use, and discharge into the environment. Substituting one foam for another may make small improvements in environmental protection; however, the best method of ensuring protection of the environment is to design the system properly, with the correct amount of foam and water, conduct required system maintenance, prevent accidentally discharges, and provide a method of capture and control for any foam discharges.

There are several types of firefighting foams ailable, including: Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF); Alcohol-resistant AFFF; Protein Foams, Alcohol Resistant Protein Foams, Fluoroprotein Foams, Class A Foams, Medium and High Expansion Foams, Wetting Agents, Training Foams, and others. Each of these firefighting foams is used for different purposes or because of standards and specification that require their use in specific systems. Firefighting foams usually come in a concentrate that is diluted with water and agitated to form a foam solution.

Firefighting foams are normally used for fixed-facility systems or on crash fire-rescue trucks in locations where fuel-pool fires are expected. When used in fixed-facility systems, the design should incorporate a diversion and/or containment structure that will collect or treat the foam prior to removal or release. This will prevent the foam from entering the environment, and the subsequent environmental impact or liability. When used on crash fire-rescue trucks, standard procedures should be set in place that capture and contain the foam flow. These procedures and systems are important when foam is used in training, during accidental discharges, system checks, and during actual fire events. Although safety and fire suppression/ extinguishments is paramount during a fire event, the properly designed system and standard procedures will protect the environment as well.

Toxicity analysis focuses on the plants or animals most likely affected, and the route of entry that will cause the worst effects. In the case of foams, plant and animals in water are the ones that are most likely to be affected by exposure, and the exposure will generally be through ingestion or respiration. This type of toxicity is known as aquatic toxicity. Aquatic toxicity is an indicator of the relative toxicity of a chemical or compound in water. It is determined by using a series of tests to determine the acute (short term) or chronic (long term) toxicity, expressed as EC50 (Effective Concentration 50), LC50 (Lethal Concentration 50), or several other parameters.

The toxicity is compared to a standard toxicity reference to determine their potential impact, and evaluated based on use-specific conditions. Several scales are available; one example, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) scale is provided in the following chart (this scale is highly situation-specific and should not be used as a planning tool or guidance for relative toxicity without consulting a qualified toxicologist).

FWS Acute Toxicity Rating Scale

Relative Toxicity	Aquatic EC50 orLC50 (mg/L)
Super Toxic	<0.01
Extremely Toxic	0.01-0.1
Highly Toxic	0.1-1
Moderately Toxic	1-10
Slightly Toxic	10-100
Practically Nontoxic	100-1000
Relatively Harmless	>1000

FWS Acute Toxicity Rating Scale In order to directly compare the toxicity of different fire fighting foam agents, six foam concentrates were tested for acute toxicity in two different aquatic species. Test concentrates included three AFFF agents, a wetting agent, and two "fluorine-free" foams. AFFF agents were chosen that are alcohol resistant (AR-AFFF), meet Underwriters Laboratories (UL) specifications, and meet US military specifications (milspec, Mil-F-24385). The wetting agent and "fluorine-free" foams were chosen because they are often marketed as "environmentally friendly" alternatives to AFFF. All of the foam concentrates tested were from stocks of commercially available products and all except the wetting agent were 3% concentrates. Test agents were manufactured by 3M Australia, Ansul, Buckeye, HCT, Kidde, and Solberg.