A building on fire often results in immediate deaths and poses potential health hazards. According to NSC Injury Facts, in 2022, nearly 1,504,500 fires caused 13,250 injuries, 3,790 civilian casualties, and 96 firefighter deaths while on duty.

Additionally, many firefighters develop fatal cancers and chronic health conditions years later due to exposure to AFFF, or firefighting foam.

The presence of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) makes AFFF toxic. The Consumer Notice mentions that the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs have stated that US residents have small amounts of PFAS in their blood. This might not pose much of a significant threat to their lives.

However, long-term exposure can cause these chemicals to build up in the body and lead to life-threatening diseases. This created the need for firefighting foams free from the harmful effects of PFAS.

Fluorine-free foams (FFF) have come to the rescue because they are biodegradable, don’t remain in the human body and environment like PFAS, and are free from toxic side effects.

Researchers have been conducting extensive studies to test the efficacy of FFF in real-world scenarios, comparing its performance to traditional PFAS-containing foams.

Recent results show promising effectiveness in suppressing fires, with some formulations rivaling the extinguishing power of AFFF. As more fire departments transition to safer alternatives, awareness around FFF is growing, and manufacturers are continually improving its formulation to meet safety and environmental standards.

It is necessary to know the success rate of fluorine-free foams so far. To learn more, keep reading this article.

AFFF Is Effective But Not Safe

AFFF is effective in extinguishing fuel-based fires. It creates a foam blanket that successfully spreads across fuel spills and then reseals itself in case this layer breaks down. In the process, it also provides continuous vapor suppression.

However, firefighters worldwide affected by AFFF exposure have been diagnosed with bladder, colon, kidney, pancreatic, testicular, and prostate cancers, amongst others.

Naturally, they have filed legal complaints to report their suffering and to seek legal compensation for the same. According to the June 2024 AFFF lawsuit update, nearly 9,525 lawsuits have been pending in the MDL in South Carolina.

AFFF exposure also affects others, such as:

• Chemical industry workers.
• Airport workers.
• Military personnel.
• Petroleum processing and oil rig workers.
• People who were employed at a military base as contractors.

Considering the harmful nature of AFFF, fire departments should develop ways to keep firefighters safe. For instance, TruLaw states that regular medical screenings can help detect fatal health problems, such as any type of cancer at an early stage. That way, the treatment can be effective and can improve the survival rates and health outcomes.

The Development of Fluorine-Free Foams to Replace AFFF

Simply put, fluorine-free fire fighting foams come with a set of public health, environmental, and socio-economic benefits over AFFF. They are non-persistent with localized, short-term, and self-remediating effects. But the question is have they been able to successfully offer what AFFF has been all this while? It is necessary to consider a few observations to arrive at an answer.

John Ottesen’s (Owner and CEO of Fomtec) interview in the International Fire and Safety Journal in November 2023 provides valuable insight into the question. He mentioned that for a decade, his company has been striving to make their fluorine-free foams as effective as AFFF.

Ottesen shared that when the industry moved on to C6 from C8 chemicals, they believed the transition would be easy, but it wasn’t. Getting the same performance level as C8 versions of AFFF, especially for their high-end products, required more reformulation work.

There was also a need for increased full-scale fire testing, which he thought was necessary. Therefore, there is a need for ample work involving similar chemicals and identifying the optimal blend of fluorochemicals and the correct mix of each to create a successful product.

Eliminating fluoropolymers and fluorosurfactants from the foam mix meant starting the process from scratch. Since they had access to Medium/High Expansion Synthetic and Class A foams like other manufacturers, there was a foundation to build on. But the development so far has included 2000 full-scale fire tests, along with several ‘trial and error’ processes.

Hence, the development of high-end FFF is currently in its infancy. In the past few years, Ottesen agrees to have witnessed some spectacular progress in performance.

Are FFFs Successful in Replacing AFFFs?

Today, most companies investing in firefighting foams are seeking drop-in-replacements for AFFFs for fluorine-free foams. That means they want similar physio-chemical traits in the foam.

Additionally, they also want to apply the foam using the same equipment and in the same quantity and flow rate. For the cost, they would also want a similar price.

Ottesen said that their FFFs have considered all these and tried to deliver the best. So far, the foam concentrate is apt to be used on hydrocarbon fuel fires. Additionally, in certain tests, the foam even outshined the last-generation C6 AFFFs.

So the question is: can FFFs substitute for AFFFs? Considering the difference between the tests and approvals for SFFFs and AFFFs, there’s been ample progress in the last decade. That means that there is still a long way to go, and with the correct practices, the future looks promising.

Ensuring Safety with Fluorine-Free Foams

To sum up, AFFF has been used for a long time by firefighters in training sessions and at sites on fire, which has led to harmful diseases and health conditions. Therefore, the need to search for an alternative for this toxic foam is more than a regulatory requirement.

It is a crucial initiative to ensure operational and environmental safety. FFFs have often been looked upon as a favorable replacement choice. Although the work is in progress, we can expect a positive outcome in the future.