Baby Safety / Compounds / Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF)

Is Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) safe for babies and kids?

Context-dependent for kids

Not medical or professional safety advice, and not a substitute for a qualified clinician — consult one. Full disclaimer →

(Babies-specific data is limited; this page draws from human pregnant context.) Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF), potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

What is aqueous film-forming foam (afff)?

The IUPAC name is sodium 2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,6-undecafluorohexanoate.

Also known as: sodium 2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,6-undecafluorohexanoate, Sodium perfluorohexanoate, Sodium undecafluorohexanoate, Undecafluorohexanoic acid, sodium salt.

IUPAC name
sodium 2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,6-undecafluorohexanoate
CAS number
2923-26-4
Molecular formula
C6F11NaO2
Molecular weight
336.03 g/mol
SMILES
[Na+].[O-]C(=O)C(F)(F)C(F)(F)C(F)(F)C(F)(F)C(F)(F)F
PubChem CID
23678863

Risk for babies

Context-dependent

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF), potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

No specific reproductive toxicity data identified, but pregnancy-specific safety data is limited for most chemicals. Precautionary minimization of exposure is recommended.

What to do: Minimize exposure during pregnancy and lactation. Consult healthcare provider regarding specific risks. Consider alternative products with lower hazard profiles.

Risk for pregnant and nursing people

Context-dependent

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF), potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

No specific reproductive toxicity data identified, but pregnancy-specific safety data is limited for most chemicals. Precautionary minimization of exposure is recommended.

What to do: Minimize exposure during pregnancy and lactation. Consult healthcare provider regarding specific risks. Consider alternative products with lower hazard profiles.

Regulatory consensus

2 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF). The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
GHS—Skin hazard
GHS—Inhalation hazard

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where kids encounter aqueous film-forming foam (afff)

  • Industrial Facilities — Manufacturing plants, Waste treatment sites
  • Occupational Environments — Factories, Warehouses

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF):

  • Safer process chemistry; Green chemistry alternatives; Exposure controls
    Trade-offs: Requires R&D investment to redesign synthesis routes; may reduce yield or throughput initially; long-term benefits include reduced waste treatment costs, regulatory compliance, and worker safety; 12 Principles of Green Chemistry framework available.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions

What products contain aqueous film-forming foam (afff)?

Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) appears in: Manufacturing plants (Industrial facilities); Waste treatment sites (Industrial facilities); Factories (Occupational environments); Warehouses (Occupational environments).

See Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) in the baby app

Look up products containing aqueous film-forming foam (afff), compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in baby View raw API data

Sources (7)
  1. PubChem Compound CID 23678863 — database
  2. EPA CompTox Chemicals Dashboard — DTXSID3052856 — epa
  3. ATSDR Toxicological Profile — CAS 2923-26-4 — reference
  4. ATSDR Toxicological Profile for Perfluoroalkyls (PFAS class — PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS) (2021) — regulatory
  5. EPA PFAS Strategic Roadmap — Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) regulatory framework (2021) — regulatory
  6. US DoD PFAS Task Force — AFFF Phase-Out Implementation Guidance (NDAA 2020 §322 + 2023 §347) (2023) — regulatory
  7. Trowbridge et al. — Serum PFAS levels in firefighters cohort (PFNA + PFHxS elevation post-foam exposure) (2020) — study

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for medical, pediatric, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →