PFOA, PFOS, and PFAS – What Are They and Why Do They Need to Go?

What is PFAS?

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, more commonly known as PFAS, have become a hot topic in nearly every industry in the past several years. You may have heard of PFOA and PFOS – which are two specific chemicals in the PFAS family which includes over 3,000 distinct chemicals. These chemicals have been present in everything from Teflon anti-stick coatings and cosmetics to fire-fighting foam solutions and waterproof clothing. A large part of the utility of PFAS comes from the fact that it is a highly effective surfactant, which means that when PFAS interacts with water it lowers the surface tension of the water and allows it to spread much more quickly. From a fire prevention standpoint, PFAS fire fighting foam helps to make water “wetter”. This property allows PFAS-based foams to spread quickly over flammable liquid fires and create a barrier that traps the vapors and prevents them from igniting. PFAS is uniquely effective in fighting flammable liquids fires, but some alarming information has been uncovered in the past several years that has PFAS going the way of Halon.

Where is PFAS going?

PFAS chemicals began seeing common use in the 1950’s and development for fire suppression dramatically increased after the fire on the USS Forrestal in 1967. By the 70’s, some concerns were raised about PFAS contamination and in 2011 research was published that indicated PFAS presence in the blood of nearly every person in the US population. Today, many of the chemicals included in the PFAS family are shown to have links to increased risk of cancer, coupled with the longevity of PFAS chemicals in nature, making their widespread presence in the world water supply of international concern. Many States have already begun passing legislation that restrict and ban the use of PFAS chemicals in fire protection, as well as other industries.

What Are PFAS Alternatives?

In the past few years, many of the largest aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) manufacturers have begun rollout of new non-fluorinated fire-fighting foams that do not rely on PFAS chemicals to combat fire, known as Synthetic Fluorine-Free Foam (SFFF). These foams have been shown to be effective but have different properties from their AFFF counterparts. In the short-term, capture and disposal of AFFF during intentional system tests has become an expected part of the process. Replacement of AFFF tanks and equipment with non-AFFF-contaminated SFFF alternatives will help limit the amount of PFAS that enters the water supply. Even then, capture and disposal of SFFF foam solutions will probably continue to be expected during system tests from now on. Additional technology and equipment are being developed to facilitate system tests without discharging foam solutions to avoid similar environmental disasters like PFAS contamination in the future.

Ahern has been working closely with foam manufacturers and has already successfully rolled out AFFF alternatives and mitigation across many industries. We can help with testing alternatives or even converting your system to non-fluorinated protection options.

Learn more about the environmental backstory, legislative changes, and compliance solutions available outlined by Ahern experts in our eBook, "Fire Protection Foam: Navigating Environmental Legislation Changes". 

If you’re looking for an expert in foam fire suppression, contact us today. We can help by evaluating your current system and guiding you on the appropriate path for the future.