Global warming and urbanization are likely to increase fires in natural and urbanized areas, requiring advanced fire management techniques such as the use of aqueous film forming foams. However, these foams contains in particular toxic fluorinated compounds that belongs to the class of the so-called ‘forever chemicals’. Here we review aqueous film forming foams with focus on classification, film forming, composition, toxicity, and standards. Foams are classified into aqueous film forming foams, alcohol-resistant foams, and fluoroprotein foams. Foams contain hydrocarbon surfactants, fluorosurfactants, organic solvents, and additives such as pH buffers, stabilizers, salts, corrosion inhibitors, and anti-freeze agents. Firefighting foams are aggregates of small bubbles that efficiently combat liquid fuel fires by forming a vapor-suppressing blanket over the fuel surface. Aqueous film forming foams contain 2–15% of stable perfluorinated molecules. Concerning toxicity, perfluorooctanoic acid has a half-life of more than five years in adult humans. Alternative compounds such as perfluorobutane sulfonate has a shorter half-life of 45 days in adult humans, yet its impact on soil and aquatic ecosystems is not fully understood. The proprietary nature of the aqueous film forming foam formulations is a challenge in developing sustainable firefighting foams.

全球变暖和城市化可能会增加自然和城市化地区的火灾，需要先进的火灾管理技术，例如使用水成膜泡沫。然而，这些泡沫特别含有有毒的氟化化合物，属于所谓的“永久化学品”类别。在这里，我们回顾水成膜泡沫，重点关注分类、成膜、成分、毒性和标准。泡沫分为水成膜泡沫、耐醇泡沫、氟蛋白泡沫。泡沫含有碳氢化合物表面活性剂、含氟表面活性剂、有机溶剂和添加剂，例如pH缓冲剂、稳定剂、盐、腐蚀抑制剂和防冻剂。消防泡沫是小气泡的聚集体，通过在燃料表面形成蒸汽抑制毯来有效扑灭液体燃料火灾。水成膜泡沫含有 2-15% 的稳定全氟化分子。关于毒性，全氟辛酸在成年人体内的半衰期超过五年。全氟丁磺酸等替代化合物在成年人体内的半衰期较短，为 45 天，但其对土壤和水生生态系统的影响尚未完全了解。水成膜泡沫配方的专有性质是开发可持续消防泡沫的一个挑战。