PFAS-containing fire fighting foams

AuthorityDepartment of Home Affairs
Date received2025-05-22
OutcomeInformation not held
Outcome date2025-06-27
Case ID4683889

Summary

A request was made to the Department of Home Affairs regarding the historical and current use of PFAS-containing firefighting foams on the Isle of Man. The authority responded that the requested information is not held.

Key Facts

  • The request was received on 2025-05-22 and the outcome was issued on 2025-06-27.
  • The Department of Home Affairs stated that the information regarding PFAS firefighting foams is not held.
  • The request covered 15 specific questions about foam usage, deployment locations, training, and health testing.
  • The inquiry specifically mentioned the airport fire station and the old Jurby airfield as potential sites of interest.
  • The response document consists of 5 pages and 1 document.

Data Disclosed

  • 2025-05-22
  • 2025-06-27
  • 4683889
  • 5
  • 1
  • 15

Original Request

I have been observing an increasing global awareness of the environmental issues associated with the use of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in consumer and industrial products. Aqueous film-forming fire-fighting foams (AFFF) may be such products. AFFF Fire-fighting foams containing PFAS have been used for many decades - I believe these foams initially contained Perfluorooctane sulfonate and its salts (PFOS), which was replaced by perfluorooctanoic acid and related compounds (PFOA) and now, in some products, other PFAS are used (although some foams are available which do not contain PFAS). I understand trifluoromethane sulfonic acid (TFMS) is also found in some sites associated with AFFF use. I understand that, given the increasingly recognised issues with the persistent and harmful nature of PFAS (in particular the bioavailability of many of these chemicals and the fact that they can bioaccumulate in living things (including humans)), the use of PFAS in fire-fighting foam is being gradually phased out. I have a number of questions in relation to the current and historical use of PFAS-containing fluorinated fire-fighting foams which may apply in the context of the Island's fire stations, the wider Island, at the airport fire station (and perhaps the old Jurby airfield): 1. Are any PFAS-containing firefighting foams currently used by the fire service on the Island? Where? Which foams are used? Containing which PFAS? When was its use started? 2. If PFAS-containing foams are no longer used on-Island, when was their use stopped? 3. When was PFOS-containing foam used by the fire service on-Island (from and to)? 4. If PFOA-containing foam is no longer used, when was its use started, and stopped? 5. Where have any PFAS-containing foams been deployed on Island, either in routine training or in order to tackle a blaze? Is a record kept of this? 6. In the case of routine training, how frequently are/were PFAS-containing foams deployed? 7. In the case of routine training, what efforts were/are made to contain PFAS-containing foams and what methods are used to clean up and dispose of any contamination? 8. Have/are PFAS-containing foams been used to tackle blazes at motorsport events? Which and where? 9. Is there a record of how much PFAS-containing fire-fighting foam has been used by the fire service on-Island over the course of the past 50 or 60 years (whether for training or tackling blazes)? Please will you provide this info. 10. Has any consideration been given to the testing of soil/groundwater any nearby water courses for the presence of PFAS in the vicinity of any current/historical deployment of PFAS-containing foams, particularly in the vicinity of any fire station/area utilised for routine training deploying these foams? If not, why not? 11. What guidance on the phase-out of PFAS-containing foams has been produced by the Island's fire service and distributed to the population and businesses (who may still have PFOA or other PFAS-containing extinguishers for instance?) 12. Has any testing of the blood of current or past fire-fighters been undertaken to ascertain the levels of exposure to PFAS (and whether this is higher than would be expected for the population at large)? 13. If PFAS-containing foams are no longer used, is there a remaining stock of such chemicals on Island? 14. If so, what is proposed will be done to dispose of these chemicals? 15. If PFOA-containing extinguishers are to be phased out more widely on-Island (as they are in the UK and Europe), what provisions are being made for people to get rid of these responsibly? Given the extremely persistent nature of these chemicals, I am interested in historic use as well as current.

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Freedom of Information Coordinator DHA Headquarters Tromode Road, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM2 5AP

Telephone: (01624) 687017 Web address: www.gov.im/dha
Email: DPO-DHA@dha.gov.im

Our ref: 4683889 26 June 2025

Dear ###

We write further to your request received 22 May 2025, which states:

"I have been observing an increasing global awareness of the environmental issues associated with the use of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in consumer and industrial products. Aqueous film-forming fire-fighting foams (AFFF) may be such products.

AFFF Fire-fighting foams containing PFAS have been used for many decades - I believe these foams initially contained Perfluorooctane sulfonate and its salts (PFOS), which was replaced by perfluorooctanoic acid and related compounds (PFOA) and now, in some products, other PFAS are used (although some foams are available which do not contain PFAS). I understand trifluoromethane sulfonic acid (TFMS) is also found in some sites associated with AFFF use. I understand that, given the increasingly recognised issues with the persistent and harmful nature of PFAS (in particular the bioavailability of many of these chemicals and the fact that they can bioaccumulate in living things (including humans)), the use of PFAS in fire-fighting foam is being gradually phased out.

I have a number of questions in relation to the current and historical use of PFAS- containing fluorinated fire-fighting foams which may apply in the context of the Island's fire stations, the wider Island, at the airport fire station (and perhaps the old Jurby airfield):

  1. Are any PFAS-containing firefighting foams currently used by the fire service on the Island? Where? Which foams are used? Containing which PFAS? When was its use started?

  2. If PFAS-containing foams are no longer used on-Island, when was their use stopped?

  3. When was PFOS-containing foam used by the fire service on-Island (from and to)?

  4. If PFOA-containing foam is no longer used, when was its use started, and stopped?

  5. Where have any PFAS-containing foams been deployed on Island, either in routine training or in order to tackle a blaze? Is a record kept of this?

  6. In the case of routine training, how frequently are/were PFAS-containing foams deployed?

  7. In the case of routine training, what efforts were/are made to contain PFAS- containing foams and what methods are used to clean up and dispose of any contamination?

  8. Have/are PFAS-containing foams been used to tackle blazes at motorsport events? Which and where?

  9. Is there a record of how much PFAS-containing fire-fighting foam has been used by the fire service on-Island over the course of the past 50 or 60 years (whether for training or tackling blazes)? Please will you provide this info.

  10. Has any consideration been given to the testing of soil/groundwater any nearby water courses for the presence of PFAS in the vicinity of any current/historical deployment of PFAS-containing foams, particularly in the vicinity of any fire station/area utilised for routine training deploying these foams? If not, why not?

  11. What guidance on the phase-out of PFAS-containing foams has been produced by the Island's fire service and distributed to the population and businesses (who may still have PFOA or other PFAS-containing extinguishers for instance?)

  12. Has any testing of the blood of current or past fire-fighters been undertaken to ascertain the levels of exposure to PFAS (and whether this is higher than would be expected for the population at large)?

  13. If PFAS-containing foams are no longer used, is there a remaining stock of such chemicals on Island?

  14. If so, what is proposed will be done to dispose of these chemicals?

  15. If PFOA-containing extinguishers are to be phased out more widely on-Island (as they are in the UK and Europe), what provisions are being made for people to get rid of these responsibly?

Given the extremely persistent nature of these chemicals, I am interested in historic use as well as current."

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the public authority does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find the information that you have requested.

Under Section 15 of the Freedom of Information Act, the Department have a duty to provide you with advice and assistance where possible, as such please see the following:

  1. Are any PFAS-containing firefighting foams currently used by the fire service on the Island? Where? Which foams are used? Containing which PFAS? When was its use started?
    IOMFRS does not use PFAS-containing foams. Fire appliances carry flourine free foam and extinguisher use water plus additive.

  2. If PFAS-containing foams are no longer used on-Island, when was their use stopped? - PFAS-containing foams were taken out of service in 2020.

  3. When was PFOS-containing foam used by the fire service on-Island (from and to)?
    Approximately 1991

  4. If PFOA-containing foam is no longer used, when was its use started, and stopped?
    Approximately 1991- 2020

  5. Where have any PFAS-containing foams been deployed on Island, either in routine training or in order to tackle a blaze? Is a record kept of this?
    This information has not been held on record.

  6. In the case of routine training, how frequently are/were PFAS-containing foams deployed?
    PFAS-containing foams are not used in training.

  7. In the case of routine training, what efforts were/are made to contain PFAS- containing foams and what methods are used to clean up and dispose of any contamination?
    PFAS-containing foams are not used in training. The live fire training facility has an interceptor included to allow for a designated foam training venue which does not have implications on local environment.

  8. Have/are PFAS-containing foams been used to tackle blazes at motorsport events? Which and where?
    PFAS-containing foams are not used by IOMFRS.

  9. Is there a record of how much PFAS-containing fire-fighting foam has been used by the fire service on-Island over the course of the past 50 or 60 years (whether for training or tackling blazes)? Please will you provide this info.
    This information has not been held on record.

  10. Has any consideration been given to the testing of soil/groundwater any nearby water courses for the presence of PFAS in the vicinity of any current/historical deployment of PFAS-containing foams, particularly in the vicinity of any fire station/area utilised for routine training deploying these foams? If not, why not?
    No sampling has been taken at this time.

  11. What guidance on the phase-out of PFAS-containing foams has been produced by the Island's fire service and distributed to the population and businesses (who may still have PFOA or other PFAS-containing extinguishers for instance?)
    No guidance has been produced as it is not a legal requirement on the Isle of Man.

  12. Has any testing of the blood of current or past fire-fighters been undertaken to ascertain the levels of exposure to PFAS (and whether this is higher than would be expected for the population at large)?
    IOMFRS does not currently include blood testing within any of it’s procedures.

  13. If PFAS-containing foams are no longer used, is there a remaining stock of such chemicals on Island?
    Historic stock is held at a secure venue, pending shipping for correct disposal.

  14. If so, what is proposed will be done to dispose of these chemicals?
    It will be shipped to an authorised agent for correct disposal (incinerated)

  15. If PFOA-containing extinguishers are to be phased out more widely on-Island (as they are in the UK and Europe), what provisions are being made for people to get rid of these responsibly? "
    IOMFRS is not currently engaged in the disposal of third party extinguishers.

Please quote the reference number 4683889 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

I will now close your request as of this date.