Polluting substances in firefighting foams could be banned across the EU in good news for water and the environment.

A proposal from the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) would ban PFASs in firefighting foams, and if adopted, could reduce emissions of PFASs into the environment by more than 13,000 tonnes over 30 years.

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a class of thousands of synthetic chemicals widely used throughout society. They contain carbon-fluorine bonds, one of the strongest chemical bonds in organic chemistry, which means they resist degradation, both in use and in the environment.

The persistence of PFASs, or their breakdown products, is why they are known as 'forever chemicals'. Most PFASs are easily transported, covering long distances from the source of their release, and are frequently observed to contaminate groundwater, rivers, lakes and soil.

Some are known to harm human health and the wider environment.

Pollution challenge

Cleaning up polluted sites is difficult and costly and the ECHA says that if releases are allowed to continue, they will be further accumulations in the environment, drinking water and food. The combination of the chemicals' persistence and the potential to cause harm means that it is important to minimise further releases of these substances to reduce the likelihood of harm in the future.

The restriction would ban foams containing PFASs from being placed on the market, used or exported. Transition periods would give time for industry to replace PFAS-containing foams without compromising fire safety.

The estimated cost of the measures would be around €7 billion, including the price of modifying equipment for using PFAS-free foams, cleaning equipment to remove residues and the price difference for alternative foams.

Minimise releases

An ECHA investigation concluded that an EU-wide restriction is justified by the risks posed by PFASs. Firefighting foams containing PFASs have caused many cases of environmental contamination in the EU, both in soil and drinking water.

A six-month consultation planned to start on 23 March 2022 is open for anyone to give evidence-based comments on the proposal.

The ECHA's report was requested by the European Commission, which has committed to phasing out all PFASs, allowing their use only where they are proven to be irreplaceable and essential to society. Additionally, five European countries - Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway - are working on a restriction proposal that will cover all PFASs in other uses.