Are Effective Fluorine Free Firefighting Foams Ready for all Sectors?

Insight

On Jan. 6, 2023, the U.S. Department of Defence (DoD) released new military specifications for firefighting foams. Military-operated airports, should be planning for the foam transition if they haven’t started already, and now civil airports have the option of adopting F3 foams, as well.

The recently updated military specifications for firefighting foams marked a significant shift for U.S. DoD installations globally and commercial airports in the US. It also set a trend for other industries which use fluorinated firefighting foams, like aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs).

AFFFs have been identified as a major cause of PFAS contamination. Under the new U.S. military specifications, operators at U.S. military sites, U.S. commercial airports and other businesses now have access to fluorine-free firefighting (F3) foams, which can effectively extinguish fires without the use of PFAS.

“The majority of airports outside of the US have been using F3 foams for over a decade, after the first modern synthetic F3 foams were first launched as products in 2003,” said CDM Smith PFAS practice leader Ian Ross. “While this specification applies to U.S. military fire scenarios, it sets a new trend in the U.S. that may help with the transition away from AFFF use.”

While this specification applies to U.S. military fire scenarios, it sets a new trend in the U.S. that may help with the transition away from AFFF use.

Ian Ross, CDM Smith Vice President and PFAS Practice Leader

The new specifications introduce an option to migrate away from PFAS-laden foams, but one significant challenge will be the effective decontamination of existing fire suppression systems. According to Greene, there are several important steps to consider:

Drainage and disposal of existing AFFF
Multi-rinse cleanout
Cost-benefit analysis of cleaning approach and agents used
Pre- and post-sampling to determine effectiveness of cleanout

CDM Smith has supported clients with a variety of services associated with this transition such as initial suppression system assessment, fire engineering services, foam inventory, development of best management plans and environmental compliance. Reach out today to get started on your transition to safer, fluorine-free foams.

Potential AFFF Releases into Environment

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CDM Smith is at the forefront of developing effective decontamination technologies. Researchers at CDM Smith have been rigorously testing cleanout options and working with DoD to develop an AFFF-cleaning system.

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