Chemical security

Hundreds of US Military Bases Affected by Toxic Foam Must Undergo Water Testing

Nearly 400 US military bases have become possible sites of toxic chemical contamination stemming from the use of fire extinguishing foam, according to a data analysis by the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News.

The foam contains toxic and poorly studied substances, known as perfluorinated compounds (PFCs); the chemicals have been linked to health problems including testicular and kidney cancers, thyroid disease and high cholesterol in humans. The problem first emerged three years ago, when water surrounding naval bases in Willow Grove and Warminster, Pennsylvania, was found to be contaminated.

"But despite more than $150 million spent on the effort so far, the process has been slow and seemingly disjointed," reads a Stars and Stripes report on the issue, which notes that while the Air Force has managed to complete sampling on almost all of its bases, the Navy has finished barely 10 percent of its bases and the Army has not yet started the process.