Investigation of the relationship between firefighting water additive formulation and environmental fate and toxicity

Firefighting water additives are a mixture of chemicals that are mixed with water to more effectively extinguish fires (i.e., residential, industrial, forest fires). The use of these additives is likely to increase in fighting forest fires due to the projected increase in forest fire occurrence and intensity due to climate change. Ingredients of firefighting water additives used in the past were found to be persistent and detrimental to the environment. The Canadian company FireRein is working to design new firefighting water additives that are effective at fire suppression but also pose a relatively low risk to the environment. This project will investigate the toxicity of individual ingredients used by FireRein and new formulations water additives designed by FireRein on aquatic and terrestrial organisms. The objective of this project is to provide data that will allow FireRein to optimize the formulation of their new water additives so that they are as effective at fire suppression as additives currently on the market while also pose a relatively low risk to the environment.

Faculty Supervisor:

Ryan Prosser

Student:

Jenna Anderson

Partner:

FireRein

Discipline:

Environmental sciences

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

University of Guelph