In order to combat the Los Angeles fires during early-mid January, multiple organizations associated with firefighting used fire retardant to reduce the harm of these devastating events. PHOS-CHEK, the primary fire retardant used, was deployed in many parts of LA, including the Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Santa Monica and Altadena. PHOS-CHEK can be identified by its prominent pink coloring, which is used for fire responders to easily identify the drop zones. 

As part of InvenTeam’s latest project, members of the group conducted research on PHOS-CHEK’s effects on health and the environment. This article highlights key takeaways on what you can do if you are impacted by a PHOS-CHEK drop.

Health Impacts

While fire retardant is crucial to putting out fires, it also has adverse health and environmental impacts. Contact with PHOS-CHEK is known to cause symptoms such as eye and skin irritation, respiratory irritation and gastrointestinal irritation. Additionally, consumption of PHOS-CHEK can cause serious health issues and requires immediate medical attention. According to the USC Viterbi School of Engineering’s Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, prolonged exposure to PHOS-CHEK may also cause endocrine disruption and an increased risk of cancer. 

If your house has been affected by a retardant drop, the following are ways to negate health risks: If you have a pet or small child, do not let them into your yard because accidental ingestion of PHOS-CHEK could be dangerous. Do not drink from or enter bodies of water that have come into contact with fire retardant. Make sure to limit prolonged time outside and exercise caution by wearing a KN-95 mask (available at public libraries across LA) when in a PHOS-CHEK impacted zone.

Environmental Implications

According to NBC News, PHOS-CHEK contains heavy metals as well as ammonium polyphosphate, which can be dangerous to plants and animals. Once the fire retardant chemicals penetrate the affected soil on which they were dropped, the chemicals have potentially detrimental effects on the area’s groundwater and vegetation. 

In an interview with Heather Mackey, a renowned conservation biologist at Yosemite National Park, Mackey says that PHOS-CHEK is visible in the park for about six months after it is initially dropped and might still be active up to that point. A study from The Science Direct found that long-term effects of PHOS-CHEK include a decrease in soil nutrient quality and an increase in invasive plant species. 

While it is important to keep in mind the environmental implications of PHOS-CHEK, it is important to acknowledge that it is the most effective approved form of fire suppressant and prevention, and it has been invaluable in the fight to contain and eliminate the Los Angeles wildfires.

Additional reporting done by members of Archer Inventeam.