Clean Production Action is a non-profit dedicated to producing solutions for a safer chemicals economy. In 2020 we launched GreenScreen Certified™ Firefighting Foam –  the world’s first independent certification of firefighting products that do not use PFAS or other known chemicals of high concern.  We designed the Standard using the globally recognized GreenScreen for Safer Chemicals hazard assessment tool, to ensure the standard is transparently safer for human health and the environment. We worked with a technical review team of scientists, firefighting foam researchers, and governments to ensure the Standard is also achievable and our certified list of products continues to grow, with some foam manufacturers intentionally reformulating their products with safer chemicals in order to meet the Standard.

All humans are exposed to PFAS but firefighters face ongoing exposure to these chemicals on the job – particularly if using firefighting foam containing PFAS.  Tragically, we know human exposure to these chemicals is associated with cancer, developmental toxicity, immunotoxicity, high cholesterol, and a multitude of other health effects.

That is why the GreenScreen Certified™ Firefighting Foam standard applies to Class A Foam Concentrates, Class B Foam Concentrates, Class A Wetting Agents, and Class A&B Wetting Agents. Class A foams typically do not contain PFAS but they may contain other toxic ingredients. The Standard requires full chemical ingredient identification and uses a combination of a restricted substances list, GreenScreen scores, and analytic testing for acute aquatic toxicity and total organic fluorine to certify firefighting foams are PFAS-free* and also avoid over 2,000 other chemicals of high concern.

Learn more about GreenScreen Certified™ and hear from Randy Krause, Fire Chief, Port of Seattle Fire Department and David Plant, Global Product Manager for Firefighting Chemicals, National Foam, who spoke at the launch of GreenScreen Certified.   We know collective action is needed for a healthier future and we hope to play our part in getting safer products on the market.  Please contact us with any questions or suggestions.

*PFAS-free is defined as zero intentionally added PFAS to the product and PFAS contamination in the product must be less than 0.0001 percent by weight of the product (1 part per million) total organic fluorine as measured by combustion ion chromatography.