The Dangers of AFFF Firefighting Foam - How It's Ruining Families
The Dangers of AFFF Firefighting Foam - How It's Ruining Families
Blog Article
AFFF represents “aqueous film-forming foam.” It's a type of Firefighting Foam that is most commonly utilized by firefighters to extinguish Class B and Class A fires. Class B fires are those that involve flammable liquids, such as gasoline, oil, or paint, while Class A fires are those who involve combustible materials, such as wood or paper.
AFFF functions by forming a thin layer of water on top of the burning liquid, which effectively smothers the fire and prevents it from spreading. Additionally, AFFF contains surfactants—substances that reduce the outer lining tension of water—that assist the water to spread more easily and evenly over the top of the liquid.
How AFFF Works
● Aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) is a type of firefighting foam that's most commonly employed by firefighters to extinguish Class B and Class A fires. Class A fires are the ones that involve combustible materials like wood or paper, while Class B fires involve flammable liquids like paint, oil, or gasoline.
● To know how AFFF works, it's first vital that you know the way fire works. Whenever a fire burns, it will so because three elements exist: oxygen, heat, and fuel. The oxygen provides the air essential for combustion, while the warmth causes the fuel to ignite. Once ignited, the fuel begins to burn, releasing energy in the form of heat and light.
● If one of these three elements is removed, the fire should go out. This really is where AFFF comes in. When put on a fire, AFFF forms a slim layer of water at first glance of the burning liquid. This effectively smothers the fire and prevents it from spreading. Surfactants, which lower water's surface tension, are another ingredient in AFFF. They make it easier and more uniform for water to spread across a liquid's surface.
● Surfactants are especially important when fighting fires involving liquids with high surface tensions, such as diesel fuel or crude oil. Without surfactants, these kinds of liquids would repel water, making it burdensome for firefighters to extinguish them.
AFFF Firefighting Foam Lawsuit
AFFF Firefighting foam lawsuit is just a class action lawsuit that was filed in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina. This system has been utilized by the U.S. Military, in addition to many fire departments across the country.
● The principal allegations in the lawsuit are that the firms knew or needs to have known that the chemicals in AFFF firefighting foam were dangerous and caused health problems, but they failed to warn people or take steps to get rid of the chemicals from the product.
● The chemicals at issue, in this instance, are perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA).
● These chemicals have already been associated with cancer, in addition to, other health problems. The plaintiffs, in this case, are seeking compensatory and punitive damages. They're also seeking to really have the companies remove these chemicals from AFFF firefighting foam and other products.
Conclusion:
Aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) is an important tool in the fight against fires. By forming a thin layer of water at first glance of burning liquids, it effectively smothers flames and prevents them from spreading. Additionally, its surfactant content helps water to spread more evenly over surfaces with high surface tensions.
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