For mobile, landscape view is recommended.
There is an urgent need to replace aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) with PFAS-free alternatives. Currently, little is known about the ecotoxicity and environmental impacts of existing alternatives. This proof-of-concept project aimed to comparatively assess ecotoxicity of a short-chain, PFAS-containing AFFF and six PFAS-free alternatives in terrestrial plants and soil invertebrates. Specifically, the objectives of this project were to:
The technology approach of this project was as follows:
The results of this project include:
This project provides ecotoxicological data that, combined with data from all related ongoing research, could be used in decision-making regarding recommendations for manufacturing and use of candidate PFAS-free products. The demonstrated toxicity of PFAS-free products to plant and invertebrate species suggests a need for further testing prior to field use. (Project Completion - 2023)
Wu, X., H. Nguyen, K. Damian, and H. Peng. 2022. Chronic Toxicity of PFAS-free AFFF Alternatives in Terrestrial Plant Brassica rapa. Science of the Total Environment, 850:158100. doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158100.
Xingli, Y., J.A. Ceja-Navarro, and X. Wu. 2022. Sublethal Toxicity of Fluorine-Free Firefighting Foams in Soil Invertebrate Caenorhabditis elegans. Environmental Science and Technology Letter, 9(6):561-566. doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.2c00219.