Mutagenicity of fire-water runoff from the fire of the typical furnishing materials

Abstract

This research is a pilot study aimed at assessment of potential risk caused by the contamination
of soil and water by the fire-water runoff from the non-chemical facilitates. Our research
addresses the first phase of the research – the assessment of the mutagenicity of fire-water
runoff resulting from the fire of the typical furnishing materials: cellulose, furniture resins,
PMMA and polyurethane foams. We prepared samples of these materials, then we burned them
in controlled conditions and collected the extinguishing water for further tests. In each of the
collected water samples, we determined the content of 16 PAHs and, using the Ames test, we
determined the mutagenicity of these samples. Our studies clearly show that fire-water runoff
is a serious risk factor not only for firefighters but for all the living organisms in the ecosystem
as the water released during firefighting ends finally in the ground and waterbodies. The
greatest risk is the water runoff deriving from the burning of polyurethane foam, which is found
in a variety of consumer and commercial products such as bedding, furniture, automotive
interiors, carpet underlay and packaging, etc. Due to the lack of evidence-based assessment of
the impact of fire-water runoff from houses or public buildings, the problem should be
investigated systematically.