Perfluorinated Surfactants and the Environmental Implications of Their Use in Fire-Fighting Foams

The recent identification of one class of fluorinated surfactants in groundwater impacted by fire-fighting activity has created an awareness of the potential environmental issues resulting from the use of aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) agents. Aqueous film forming foams are used to extinguish hydrocarbon-fuel fires and their repeated usage, particularly at military sites, has led to AFFF-contaminated groundwater. Formulations of AFFF agents include fluorinated surfactants, which are an important class of specialty chemicals that have physio-chemical properties that differentiate them from hydrocarbon surfactants. Little is known about the occurrence, transport, biodegradation, and toxicity of fluorinated surfactants in the environment. The fact that fluorinated surfactants, as well as other AFFF components, co-occur with priority pollutants (e.g., jet fuel components and chlorinated solvents) complicates studies on their fate and effect in the environment. Research is needed to sufficiently identify those fluorinated surfactants present in commercial AFFF products and environmental samples and to characterize their environmental properties. Additionally, the environmental behavior of the AFFF mixtures and complex AFFF-wastewaters needs to be investigated.