ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH NEWS PFAS-free firefighting foams: Are they safer? by Lindsey Konkle

May 18, 2020 CPA in the News

A potential solution

One U.S. nonprofit is working with makers and buyers of PFAS-free firefighting foams to make that screening process smoother. In January, Clean Production Action launched the first eco-label certification program for PFAS-free firefighting foams. The program ensures that foams claiming to be PFAS-free are, in fact, free of these added chemicals, as well as thousands of other chemicals of high concern, such as alkylphenols, surfactants that are found in detergents, cleaners, and other products and that may disrupt the body's hormone system and organohalogens, a large class of chemicals that can be used as preservatives and that bioaccumulate in the environment.

The eco-label certification program, called GreenScreen Certified Standard for Firefighting Foams, kicked off as a pilot program in Washington State. In 2018, Washington led the nation in passing laws to phase out the use of PFAS chemicals in firefighting foams as well as other products, including food packaging...

GreenScreen isn't new. The tool first launched in 2007 to help purchasers of chemicals complete a hazard assessment of individual chemicals. But most companies don't buy chemicals, they buy products, Mark Rossi, executive director of Clean Production Action, told EHN.

So, in 2017, the non-profit launched the GreenScreen Certified program to give buyers in certain industries a simple way to assess the chemical safety of the products they purchase. There currently are GreenScreen Certified labels for products used in textiles manufacturing, building, and now firefighting foams.

GreenScreen's PFAS-free firefighting foam pilot started off small with four manufacturers and four certified products, including National Foam's flagship PFAS-free foam, Universal Green. Franjevic estimates there are between 30 and 35 manufacturers of PFAS-free foams worldwide, marketing more than 100 PFAS-free foams and said that a number of other companies have expressed interest in taking part in the program.

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