Quote Originally Posted by nova_robotics View Post
I don't trust that article. It attempts to use big science-y words to sound scary by opening with "AFFF contains water and other chemical components, including ethylene and propylene glycol". Ethylene is produced biologically and is given off by plants and required to ripen fruit. It's why you don't store your bananas in bags or containers. The bananas gas out ethylene, which causes the other bananas to ripen faster. You need to let that escape if you want your bananas to keep longer. And propylene glycol is a food grade additive that's in half the stuff you eat including ice cream. Not exactly agent orange. So... this article is not off to a good start.

You are correct that FOOD GRADE, Propylene Glycol is not toxic. It is actually used as a bowel cleaner in preparation for a colonoscopy. However, while Ethylene is a naturally occurring compound, Ethelyne Glycol is very toxic. Old antifreeze used to be a very good way to kill mice in a barn. The love the sweet taste and it destroys their liver. Modern antifreeze has a battering agent in it so it is not so tasty! The BAD stuff in the AFFF are the PFAS.

From the article..."PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of widely-used, man-made chemicals that are likely all around you. They are sometimes called “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down, and they can accumulate in both the environment and the human body. Studies have found that PFAS may cause serious health problems, including cancer."

There is a reason that so many young people are getting cancer and other diseases so young. I personally believe things like this are part of the reason. We are poisoning our home planet.