Abacimi bomlilo basebenzisa igwebu elibumba ifilimu (i-AFFF) elimanzi ukusiza ukucima imililo enzima ukuyilwa, ikakhulukazi imililo ehilela uphethiloli noma olunye uketshezi oluvuthayo ‚ olwaziwa ngokuthi imililo ye-Class B. Kodwa-ke, akuzona zonke igwebu lokulwa nomlilo ezihlukaniswa njenge-AFFF.

Amanye amafomula e-AFFF aqukethe uhlobo lwamakhemikhali aziwa ngokuthiamakhemikhali e-perfluoro (ama-PFC)futhi lokhu kuphakamise ukukhathazeka mayelana namathuba okubaukungcoliswa kwamanzi angaphansi komhlabaimithombo evela ekusetshenzisweni kwama-agent e-AFFF aqukethe ama-PFC.

NgoMeyi 2000, i-Inkampani ye-3Muthe ngeke isakhiqiza ama-flurosurfactants asekelwe ku-PFOS (perfluorooctanesulphonate) esebenzisa inqubo ye-fluorination ye-electrochemical. Ngaphambi kwalokhu, ama-PFC avame ukusetshenziswa kuma-foam okulwa nomlilo kwakuyi-PFOS kanye nezinto eziphuma kuyo.

I-AFFF icisha ngokushesha imililo kaphethiloli, kodwa iqukethe i-PFAS, emele izinto ze-per- kanye ne-polyfluoroalkyl. Okunye ukungcola kwe-PFAS kuvela ekusetshenzisweni kwamagwebu okucisha umlilo. (Isithombe/Isisekelo Esihlangene saseSan Antonio)

IZIHLOKO EZIHLOBENE

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Eminyakeni embalwa edlule, imboni ye-foam yokulwa nomlilo iye yasuka ku-PFOS kanye nezinto eziphuma kuyo ngenxa yengcindezi yomthetho. Labo bakhiqizi bathuthukise futhi baletha emakethe ama-foam okulwa nomlilo angasebenzisi ama-fluorochemicals, okungukuthi, angenayo i-fluorine.

Abakhiqizi bama-foam angena-fluorine bathi la ma-foam anomthelela omncane emvelweni futhi ahlangabezana nokuvunyelwa kwamazwe ngamazwe kwezimfuneko zokulwa nomlilo kanye nokulindelwe ngabasebenzisi bokugcina. Noma kunjalo, kuyaqhubeka nokuba nokukhathazeka ngezemvelo mayelana nama-foam okulwa nomlilo futhi ucwaningo ngale ndaba luyaqhubeka.

UKHATHAZEKILE NGOKUSEBENZISA I-AFFF?

Lokhu kukhathazeka kugxile emthonjeni omubi ongaba khona emvelweni ngenxa yokukhishwa kwezixazululo ze-foam (inhlanganisela yamanzi kanye ne-foam concentrate). Izinkinga eziyinhloko ubuthi, ukubola, ukuphikelela, ukwelashwa kwezitshalo zokuhlanza amanzi amdaka kanye nomthwalo wezakhamzimba enhlabathini. Konke lokhu kuyimbangela yokukhathazeka lapho izixazululo ze-foam zifika.izinhlelo zamanzi zemvelo noma zasekhaya.

Uma i-AFFF equkethe i-PFC isetshenziswa ngokuphindaphindiwe endaweni eyodwa isikhathi eside, ama-PFC angasuka efomini aye enhlabathini bese ewela emanzini angaphansi komhlaba. Inani lama-PFC angena emanzini angaphansi komhlaba lincike ohlotsheni kanye nenani le-AFFF esetshenzisiwe, lapho isetshenziswe khona, uhlobo lomhlabathi kanye nezinye izinto.

Uma imithombo yangasese noma yomphakathi iseduze, ingase ithintwe yi-PFCs endaweni lapho i-AFFF yayisetshenziswa khona. Nasi isibuyekezo salokho uMnyango Wezempilo waseMinnesota okushicilele; ingenye yezifundazwe eziningana.ukuhlolwa kokungcola.

“Ngo-2008-2011, i-Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) yahlola inhlabathi, amanzi angaphezulu, amanzi angaphansi komhlaba, kanye nenhlabathi ezindaweni eziyi-13 ze-AFFF eziseduze nesifundazwe. Bathole amazinga aphezulu e-PFC kwezinye zezindawo, kodwa ezimweni eziningi ukungcola akuzange kuthinte indawo enkulu noma kube yingozi kubantu noma emvelweni. Izindawo ezintathu - i-Duluth Air National Guard Base, i-Bemidji Airport, kanye ne-Western Area Fire Training Academy - zatholakala lapho ama-PFC ayesakazeke khona ngokwanele kangangokuthi uMnyango Wezempilo waseMinnesota kanye ne-MPCA banquma ukuhlola imithombo yokuhlala eseduze.

"Lokhu kungenzeka kakhulu ukuthi kwenzeke eduze kwezindawo lapho i-AFFF equkethe i-PFC isetshenziswe khona ngokuphindaphindiwe, njengezindawo zokuqeqesha umlilo, izikhumulo zezindiza, izindawo zokucwenga, kanye nezindawo zamakhemikhali. Akuvamile ukuthi kwenzeke ngokusetshenziswa kanye kwe-AFFF ukulwa nomlilo, ngaphandle kokuthi kusetshenziswa inani elikhulu le-AFFF. Nakuba ezinye izicishamlilo eziphathwayo zingasebenzisa i-AFFF equkethe i-PFC, ukusetshenziswa kanye nje kwenani elincane kangako akunakwenzeka ukuthi kube yingozi emanzini angaphansi komhlaba."

UKUKHUPHA IFOMU

Ukukhishwa kwesisombululo se-foam/samanzi cishe kungaba umphumela wesinye noma ngaphezulu kwalezi zimo ezilandelayo:

• Imisebenzi yokucima umlilo ngesandla noma yokufaka uphethiloli;
• Ukuzivocavoca kokuqeqesha lapho kusetshenziswa khona igwebu ezimweni ezithile;
• Ukuhlolwa kwesistimu yemishini ye-foam kanye nezimoto; noma
• Ukukhishwa kwesistimu okulungisiwe.

Izindawo lapho esinye noma ngaphezulu kwalezi zenzakalo zingase zenzeke khona zihlanganisa izikhungo zezindiza kanye nezikhungo zokuqeqesha abacimi bomlilo. Izikhungo ezikhethekile eziyingozi, njengezindawo zokugcina izinto ezivuthayo/eziyingozi, izindawo zokugcina uketshezi oluvuthayo kanye nezindawo zokugcina imfucuza eyingozi, nazo zifakiwe ohlwini.

Kufiseleka kakhulu ukuqoqa izixazululo ze-foam ngemva kokusetshenziswa kwayo emisebenzini yokulwa nomlilo. Ngaphandle kwengxenye ye-foam ngokwayo, i-foam cishe ingcoliswe uphethiloli noma uphethiloli ohilelekile emlilweni. Sekuvele umcimbi wezinto eziyingozi njalo.

Amasu okulawula ngesandla asetshenziswa lapho kuchitheka uketshezi oluyingozi kufanele asetshenziswe uma izimo kanye nabasebenzi bevuma. Lokhu kufaka phakathi ukuvimba imisele yamanzi ukuze kuvinjelwe isixazululo segwebu/samanzi esingcolile ukuthi singangeni ohlelweni lwamanzi angcolile noma endaweni ezungezile singavinjelwanga.

Amaqhinga okuzivikela anjengokubhoboza, ukumba kanye nokuphambukisa kufanele asetshenziswe ukuze kutholakale isixazululo se-foam/samanzi endaweni efanele ukuvimba kuze kube yilapho singasuswa ngumakhi wokuhlanza izinto eziyingozi.

UKUQEQESHWA NGEFOMBI

Kukhona amagwebu okuqeqesha aklanywe ngokukhethekile atholakala kubakhiqizi abaningi begwebu alingisa i-AFFF ngesikhathi sokuqeqeshwa bukhoma, kodwa awanawo ama-flourosurfactants afana ne-PFC. Lawa magwebu okuqeqesha ngokuvamile ayabola futhi anomthelela omncane emvelweni; angathunyelwa ngokuphephile esitshalweni sokuhlanza amanzi amdaka sendawo ukuze sicutshungulwe.

Ukungabikho kwama-flourosurfactants ku-training foam kusho ukuthi lawo ma-foam anokumelana okuncishisiwe nokusha emuva. Isibonelo, i-training foam izohlinzeka ngesithiyo sokuqala somusi emlilweni woketshezi oluvuthayo oluholela ekucimeni, kodwa leyo ngubo ye-foam izophuka ngokushesha.

Lokho kuyinto enhle ngokombono womfundisi njengoba kusho ukuthi ungenza izimo zokuqeqesha ezengeziwe ngoba wena nabafundi bakho anilindeli ukuthi isilingisi sokuqeqesha siphinde silungele ukusha.

Ukuqeqeshwa, ikakhulukazi labo abasebenzisa igwebu eliqediwe langempela, kufanele kufake phakathi amalungiselelo okuqoqwa kwegwebu elisetshenzisiwe. Okungenani, izindawo zokuqeqesha umlilo kufanele zibe nekhono lokuqoqa isixazululo segwebu esisetshenziswa ezimweni zokuqeqesha ukuze kukhishwe amanzi angcolile endaweni yokwelapha amanzi angcolile.

Ngaphambi kokukhishwa, indawo yokuhlanza amanzi amdaka kufanele yaziswe futhi umnyango womlilo unikezwe imvume yokuthi i-ejenti ikhululwe ngesilinganiso esinqunyiwe.

Ngokuqinisekile intuthuko ezinhlelweni zokungenisa ze-Class A foam (futhi mhlawumbe ne-agent chemistry) izoqhubeka nokuthuthuka njengoba iqhubekile eminyakeni eyishumi edlule. Kodwa ngokuphathelene nokugxila kwe-Class B foam, imizamo yokuthuthukisa i-agent chemistry ibonakala sengathi imisiwe ngesikhathi ngenxa yokuthembela kubuchwepheshe obukhona kakade.

Kusukela kwasungulwa imithethonqubo yezemvelo eminyakeni eyishumi edlule noma ngaphezulu kuma-AFFF asekelwe ku-fluorine kuphela lapho abakhiqizi be-foam yokulwa nomlilo bathathe inselelo yokuthuthukisa ngokungathi sína. Eminye yale mikhiqizo engenayo i-fluorine ingeyesizukulwane sokuqala kanti eminye ingeyesizukulwane sesibili noma sesithathu.

Zizoqhubeka nokukhula kokubili kumakhemikhali e-agent kanye nokusebenza komlilo ngenhloso yokufeza ukusebenza okuphezulu koketshezi oluvuthayo noluvuthayo, ukumelana okuthuthukisiwe kokusha emuva kokuphepha kwabacimi bomlilo kanye nokuhlinzeka ngeminyaka eminingi eyengeziwe yokuphila eshalofini phezu kwamagwebu atholakala kumaprotheni.