A pink powdered flame retardant called Phos-Chek has proved effective in fighting fires in and around Los Angeles but sparked concerns it could cause damage to the environment, including vineyards.
Experts say chemicals in the product may have long-reaching consequences for agriculture, the drinks business reports.
There have been images published of cars, pavements and driveways covered with a thick dusting of the pink powder, which works by depleting the fire of oxygen, slowing the path of the flames.
Phos-Chek also serves as a visual aid for firefighters to see which areas have been treated and which areas still need their attention.
Some of the main components of Phos-Chek retardants include ammonium polyphosphate, diammonium phosphate, diammonium sulfate, monoammonium phosphate, attapulgus clay, guar gum (or a derivative of guar gum), and trade secret performance additives.
Concerns have been raised that Phos-Chek harms fish and aquatic life; and that it causes long-term effects on soils, insects, and microbiology, Wikipdeia reports.
Heavy metals can impact on vines, particularly organic vineyards.
In 2022 a lawsuit was filed by the Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics against the US Forest Service, which said that the use of Phos-Chek had “violated” the clean water laws of the US by effectively dumping chemicals. These chemicals, the lawsuit said, killed fish and other aquatic life.
“The fires in Los Angeles, and the controversies surrounding this product, haunt everyone’s minds,” Valérie Pladeau, economic project manager of SudVinBio, the organiser of Millésime Bio, the world’s leading marketplace for organic wines, ciders, beers and spirits, told the drinks business.
Pladeau says while she has not seen “any reliable scientific references” to suggest that Phos-Chek is harmful to the environment, the accusation “relates to the presence of heavy metals” in the substance.
In 2022 a lawsuit was filed by the Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics against the US Forest Service, which said that the use of Phos-Chek had “violated” the clean water laws of the US by effectively dumping chemicals. These chemicals, the lawsuit said, killed fish and other aquatic life.
“The fires in Los Angeles, and the controversies surrounding this product, haunt everyone’s minds,” Valérie Pladeau, economic project manager of SudVinBio, the organiser of Millésime Bio, the world’s leading marketplace for organic wines, ciders, beers and spirits, told the drinks business.
Pladeau says while she has not seen “any reliable scientific references” to suggest that Phos-Chek is harmful to the environment, the accusation “relates to the presence of heavy metals” in the substance.
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