[evan_au (OP)]

I see today that there has been a big payout by the Australian government because "Forever Chemicals" like PFAS leaked from air force fire drills onto nearby properties and waterways. These  fluorocarbons are not bio-degradeable, and are said to have many toxic effects.

When I see images of aerial fire-bombing, the water dumped from the plane is often brightly-coloured (pink is common).
- I assume that this is some sort of chemical mixed with the water - does anyone know what it is?
- Is this chemical safe to dump on our forests, wildlife and streams?

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-15/pfas-class-action-commonsettlement-reached-with-30-000-claimants/102346274

[Bored chemist]

- does anyone know what it is?

The colour is almost certainly just a dye so they can see where they have been..
PFAS and the like are colourless.

[Zer0]

- Is this chemical safe to dump on our forests, wildlife and streams?

$132.7 Million says a loud  ' NO ' .

When PFAS were being created, did They not know, They are Toxic?

[evan_au (OP)]

Yesterday I spoke with a volunteer bush fire fighter, who had seen the results of these fire-fighting planes up close - he said that sometimes the firefighters came back quite pink.
- He said that it seems to be an agent to increase the water viscosity, so the liquid stays as a coating on the leaves, rather than quickly running off onto the ground. This coating means the leaves take longer to reach ignition temperature, and (hopefully) stop the fire in its tracks
- The pink stuff is water soluble, so it washes off in the next rainfall
- He is sure that it isn't PFAS
- He felt that the main risk was being under the helicopters which drop a bucketload of water (a big bucket: tonnes) in a small area; that will knock you off your feet!
- Understandably, they try to aim the water bombing where the firefighters aren't!

[Bored chemist]

I'm fairly sure the PFAS are used as foaming agents, but I don't think they use foam in fighting forest fires.