This red retardation is important in the fight against wildfire. But is it harming the environment too?

Except for fire fighting retardant solutions from aircraft is an important strategy in the battle of forest fire, but some experts are concerned about their impact on the environment, including aquatic ecosystems.

Once falling, these retarded streets, roofs and vegetation leaves rust or pink liquid coating. The technique, which is usually used from the mid -20th century, is blazing by depriving firefighters of oxygen flames, Gen Baron, a postdorel researcher of the British Columbia’s Center for Wildfire cum -existence, Jane Baron states Jane Baron.

Since 2009, the BC Wildfire Service has rely on the Phos-CHEK LC-95A, which is widely used by the perimeter solutions, a global manufacturer of fire fighting products, headquartered its main component in the US, is a common fertilizer, a common fertilizer.

Like iron oxide, additives give their signatures red, helping the crew see where it has been dropped.

The exact chemical composition of retarded is, however, is unknown.

“There is not a tonne research on retarded environmental effects, but they are generally considered safe for people and environment.”

However, she suggests that the waterways have restrictions on their use as ammonia and phosphate can be dangerous for aquatic ecosystems.

“If the retarded enters a water system directly, it can cause fish species die,” Baion said. He said that many fish species and amphibians are very sensitive to ammonia salts and can also cause algae blooms from retarded chemicals that can affect water quality and turns.

The BC Wildfier confirmed CBC News and Radio-Canada in an email that its policy is “not to leave or leave fire fights where it can enter a body of water.” The service states that the Phos-Chek LC-95A is thinner before use, which contains water in about 90 percent of the slow solution.

The BC environment and climate change strategy says a document from the Ministry of PHOS-CHEK says, “When precautions and guidelines are properly followed, there is a minimum risk to the environment”.

Ban, but accident too

But accidents occur and the retardation effects are less known, the Professor of Forest Hydrology at the University of Alberta says Uldis Cilins, who have been studying watershed at Canadian Rockies for more than 20 years.

In 2020, the cylines and his team got the opportunity to study the long-term impacts of retardments, as the Fos-Czech LC-95-A was accidentally dumped on the North Racerous Creek in Southwest Alberta.

Cylves states that the crews were fighting a small fire during the time of “especially high threats” and accidentally hit 100 meters away from the waterway. The volume dropped was unknown, but “very important,” he said.

A year later, the research team found the phosphorus-rich sediment below the spill six kilometers below.

This challenged the traditional understanding that these retardation only go out of the ecosystem and disappear after a while, “one of the students of the Cilins, said Madelin Lux, who led the Madelin Lux. Research published in Environmental Sciences and Technology,

“Instead, we found that they could be stored for a long time and they could move downwards,” he said.

With more frequent and acute wildfires with climate change, cilpers say we should expect that it is unavoidable to increase deranged use and warn accidents.

Equilibrium risk

In 2022, the use of ammonium polyphosphate retardments in the US sets its own way in court, when American non-profit group forest service staff for environmental morality filed a lawsuit on the US forest service for discharging retardation in waterways without necessary permits.

A judge ruled that the country was violated Clean water act By using those retardation without permits – but confirmed that the substance can still be used with a permit to save life and qualities.

In Canada, it is difficult to monitor retarded use. Cilins note that Canadian agencies do not document the growing use on federal scale like the US Forest Service.

Data from the BC Wildfire suggests that in 2017, 2018, 2021 and 2023, the greatest versions of retardation were implemented during the wildfire season of the worst of the province.

When asked about the amount of fire fighting domestic fire, environment and climate change Canada (ECC) referred to CBC News/Radio-Canada to Provincial and Regional Fire Fire Agencies.

In an email, ECC stated that “the risk of fire can be less important than extreme wildfares.”

Hydrologist Cilins suggests that the retarded misunderstanding remains rare and their effects on the watershed are not on the scale of the effects of severe forest fire – including a decline in water quality, changes in hydrogenic governance, transformation, sediment and turbidity erosion.

“They are now very well documented,” he said.

Evilin Thifault, an associate professor of the Department of Wood and Forest Science of Laval University in Quebec City, emphasizes that retardments are used only in specific conditions where public safety is at risk.

“Along with these products, we see all the effects that are wildfires. We burnt Jasper last year, we see all those who have been evacuated. Without retarded, it will be worse, it would be worse,” Thifault said.

“If we remove this product from our toolbox, we will end in terrible situations,” he said.

Push for more research

But the cylines say that the study of retardy like Fos-Czech is important, especially because their specific chemical structure is ownership and therefore unknown.

In 2024, A Study published in Environmental science and technology papers It was discovered that the Phos-check LC-95A uncured version had toxic metals such as chromium, arsenic and lead.

“As we learn more and we get more information about the creation of those retardation, we can see some changes in their composition,” Cilins believe.

Researchers are also working on options, such as options using cellulose fibers, which can “offer biosuric options” with low impacts on ecosystems, “the thifault.

The multinational company behind the circumference solution, the foss-check, suggests that its product has been “tested strictly.” In a statement by CBC News/Radio-Canada, the company says that “like any other product, it should be implemented according to the installed guidelines, including avoiding fall on waterways.”