What's in fire foam? The health risks of the contaminant found in Grand Prairie's water supply

GRAND PRAIRIE — On Wednesday morning, Grand Prairie Mayor Ron Jensen confirmed that the "foaming agent" that contaminated some of the city's water system came from fire foam.

Grand Prairie firefighters responded to a fire inside a building at the Great Southwest Industrial District Tuesday night. As fire departments often do, especially with larger fires, they used fire foam to help put the fire out.

Fire foam is extremely effective, but contains per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS . Often called "forever chemicals," PFAS can take thousands of years to break down in the environment.

Health risks of PFAS or "forever chemicals"

Last spring, the Environmental Protection Agency introduced the first-ever national standards limiting PFAS in drinking water. The agency's move happened as concerns grow over the health risks of PFAS.

According to the Environmental Working Group , an estimated 200 million Americans were exposed to PFAS chemicals through drinking water in 2020.

These chemicals are linked to certain cancers, liver damage and developmental issues in children, according to the EPA.

And according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry , along with fire foam, PFAS can be found in food packaging, water resistant clothing and cosmetics.

Efforts to ban fire foam

Fire foam is highly effective at extinguishing fires. It cools the fire and coats it, preventing contact with oxygen. However, due to health risks, there have been efforts to ban it. The U.S. Department of Defense is mandated to phase out fire foam within the next two years.

In Texas, fire foam is no longer allowed for fire training exercises, but it is still allowed for active fire situations.