Necessity of alternatives to aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) in the Middle East: Environmental risks, regulatory drivers, and sustainable transition pathways

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Aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), which is primarily used in firefighting in hydrocarbon-related industries, is found to be the largest sources of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemicals. Historically, in the Middle East, where the majority of industrial infrastructure is controlled by oil and gas activities, the use of AFFF has been widespread with great concerns on environmental pollution and human health hazards. This paper assesses whether switching to fluorine-free options (F3 foams) is needed in the area by analyzing environmental outcomes of PFAS, new regulatory standards, and practicality of substitutes. PFAS contamination has been on the rise in groundwater, marine and biota with long-term persistence as a challenge to remediation, especially in arid coastal ecosystems like the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf. Although global regulations, such as phase outs under the Stockholm Convention, are moving in that direction, such phase outs have not been widely adopted in the Middle East. This paper draws attention to the fact that there is a pressing necessity of region-specific risk assessment, regulatory harmonization, and strategy of technological transition. Moreover, it assesses the performance, benefits, and drawbacks of foams that are fluorine-free to be sustainable alternatives. The paper draws a conclusion that the shift from AFFF is not only environmental imperative but also a strategic need to ensure the sustainability of the industrial activities in the Middle East that demand coordinated action of the regulatory bodies, the industry players and the research organizations.