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 means “aqueous film-forming foam.” It's a kind of Firefighting Foam that is most commonly used by firefighters to extinguish Class B and Class A fires. Class B fires are those that involve flammable liquids, such as for example gasoline, oil, or paint, while Class A fires are the ones that involve combustible materials, such as for example wood or paper.
AFFF works by forming a thin layer of water at first glance of the burning liquid, which effectively smothers the fire and prevents it from spreading. Additionally, AFFF contains surfactants—substances that reduce the surface tension of water—that assist the water to spread easier and evenly over the outer lining of the liquid.
How AFFF Works
● Aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) is a kind of firefighting foam that's most commonly employed by firefighters to extinguish Class B and Class A fires. Class A fires are those that involve combustible materials like wood or paper, while Class B fires involve flammable liquids like paint, oil, or gasoline.
● To understand how AFFF works, it's first crucial that you understand how fire works. When a fire burns, it will so because three elements are present: 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 brilliant three elements is removed, the fire should go out. That is where AFFF comes in. When applied to a fire, AFFF forms a thin 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 allow it to be easier and more uniform for water to spread across a liquid's surface.
● Surfactants are specially important when fighting fires involving liquids with high surface tensions, such as diesel fuel or crude oil. Without surfactants, these kind of liquids would repel water, which makes it difficult for firefighters to extinguish them.
AFFF Firefighting Foam Lawsuit
AFFF Firefighting foam lawsuit is really a class action lawsuit which was filed in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina. The product has been utilized by the U.S. Military, along with many fire departments over the country.
● The primary allegations in the lawsuit are that the firms knew or must have known that the chemicals in AFFF firefighting foam were dangerous and caused health issues, nevertheless they failed to warn the general public 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 been associated with cancer, along with, other health problems. The plaintiffs, in cases like this, are seeking compensatory and punitive damages. They're also seeking to truly have the companies remove these chemicals from AFFF firefighting foam and other products.
Conclusion:
Aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) is an essential tool in the fight fires. By forming a slim layer of water on the surface 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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