Toxicity of Fire Retardant Chemicals to Aquatic Organisms: Progress Report
Introduction
Fire retardants and suppressants are used extensively in the United States for suppression and control of range and forest fires. Each year, fire control agencies utilize millions of gallons of these mixtures on a wide array of ecosystems. These chemicals are often applied in environmentally sensitive areas of the United States which may contain endangered, threatened, or economically significant plant and animal species. Relatively little information is available on the toxicity of these chemicals to aquatic and terrestrial life; less information is available concerning impacts at the community and ecosystem level.
The extensively used ammonium compounds - essentially dry or liquid fertilizer formulations - have long been considered to have minimal toxicological or ecological impact. Several authors have reported on the toxicity to fish of the active ammonium salts found in most fire retardants (Pramanik and Sarkar 1987, Ram and Sathyanesan 1986, Sheehan and Lewis 1987, Singh et. al. 1985). There have been very limited studies concerning the toxicity of actual fire retardant chemicals to aquatic animals (Johnson and Sanders 1977). Information on the toxicity of fire-fighting foams to aquatic organisms is limited to a few reports from manufacturers of fire-fighting chemicals.
Based upon the paucity of reported studies on the toxicity of fire retardant chemicals and formulations, it is impossible to ascertain their impact on aquatic organisms without additional research. Research in these areas will provide valuable information to fire managers and policy developers to insure that sound decisions are made concerning the effects of fire-fighting chemical use near aquatic habitats on private, state, and federal lands. The purpose of this research was to determine the acute toxicity of five commercially available and commonly used wildland fire retardant and foam products on specific aquatic species.
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