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What is the "pink paint" being used to put out fires in California and how harmful is it?

What is the "pink paint" being used to put out fires in California and how harmful is it?

Airplanes have been trying to extinguish the fire over California for days to stop it from spreading.

These planes are throwing "pink color" over the ground.

But what is this color for and is it an environmentally safe product?


New research has shown that millions of liters of fire extinguishing agent carry a toxic load of chemicals harmful to human health and the environment.

This toxicity presents a serious dilemma, Telegraph reports.

Various fire extinguishers are powerful in containing deadly flames.

However, as they become more intense and frequent in the age of climate change, firefighters use them more and more often, which releases more and more harmful chemicals into the environment.

Potential for harm

Some environmental groups have questioned the effectiveness of these devices and highlighted their potential for harm.

According to foreign media, the effectiveness of fire suppression agents is difficult to measure because they are only one of many tactical tools used during large fires.

Once the flames are out, it's hard to determine exactly what helped the most.

"They increase the health and environmental burden and present a very, very difficult dilemma," said Daniel McCurry, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Southern California.

The US Forest Service announced that nine large aircraft as well as 20 water-dropping helicopters were deployed to fight fires in Southern California that have forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people.

Airplanes are also used to fill tanks with water from the sea or other bodies of water.

Why is the pink color added?

Fire extinguishers are used to cover vegetation and prevent the oxygen needed for combustion.

The pink color is added so that firefighters can see the agent in the field.

But new research by McCurry found that at least four types of heavy metals, including chromium and cadmium, exceed California's hazardous waste limits.

Federal records show that more than 440 million gallons of firefighting liquid were sprayed on federal, state and private lands between 2009 and 2021.

Based on this figure, the researchers estimated that more than 400 tons of heavy metals were released into the environment from wildfires between 2009 and 2021, a third of which was in Southern California.

Contested analysis

Both the federal government and fire extinguisher manufacturer Perimeter Solutions disputed the analysis, arguing that the researchers tested a different version of the agent.

Perimeter spokesman Dan Green said the extinguishing agents used have undergone "extensive testing to confirm they meet strict safety standards."

However, the research findings help explain why heavy metal concentrations often rise in rivers and streams after wildfires, sometimes hundreds of times higher.

Given the growing attention to firefighting agents, the Forest Service has set up buffer zones around lakes and rivers, even though data shows the agents are still being spread unintentionally in those waters. /Telegraph/