Used in the planes that fought the fires in the Pantanal and Amazon in 2020 during the Jair Bolsonaro (PL) government, the use of the so-called “flame retardant” divides opinions in the fires that consume the same regions in 2024.
The government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) does not recommend the use of chemicals to combat fires.
More than half of Brazil faces the worst drought in 44 years . Fires have particularly affected the Amazon and the Pantanal. However, fires have also been recorded in other biomes.
Regarding the “flame retardant”, the Ministry of Environment confirmed to CNN that the product is not being used in the regions by Ibama and ICMBio.
In 2018, Ibama made a technical note in which he said that the product requires a series of precautions and should only be applied as a last resort. The fear is that the chemicals used in these products could contaminate the environment.
THE CNN the president of Ibama, Rodrigo Agostinho, explained the fear. “We are analyzing the options available on the market and conducting toxicological studies. In Brazil, there is no tradition of using these substances. Some of them can be harmful in sensitive environments such as the Pantanal. We are working to reach a better conclusion about this using science.”
THE CNN also sought the Ministry of Justice and the FAB to comment on the matter, but has not received a response so far. Sources from the Force, however, told CNN that the product is not being used.
In October 2020, then Environment Minister Ricardo Salles, said that the use of flame retardant would increase the aircraft’s response capacity by five times instead of just dropping water.
In conversation with CNN the current federal deputy returned to speak about the topic. “[Flávio] Dino [ministro do STF] should force the government to use flame retardant, which is a chemical mixed with water that goes on airplanes. But fundamentalists don’t want it, because they say it causes environmental imbalance.”
Salles made reference to Dino, as the minister has been acting in decisions that determine the call for more military firefighters to work on the fires . The minister also scheduled a hearing for the 19th to verify with representatives of ten states compliance with emergency measures to combat fires in the country.
What is flame retardant?
According to Ibama, the products act by slowing the spread of flames through physical or chemical actions.
In the case of physics, they act through cooling when products release water particles when exposed to heat, or through the formation of a protective layer that surrounds the materials.
In chemical actions, in the presence of heat, the retardants react with the air, producing non-combustible gases that reduce the supply of oxygen used by combustion or inhibit combustion by reacting with polymers in the solid phase, forming a protective layer.
According to the 2018 Ibama technical note, there are dozens of types of products. 40% of the world’s flame retardant production corresponds to aluminum hydroxide, 20% to brominated retardants, 15% to phosphorous, 11% to chlorinated, 8% to antimony oxide, while other types of retardants represent about 6%.
Experts call for studies before use
In a message to CNN the coordinator of MapBiomas Fogo, Ane Alencar, highlighted the risks of using the retardant without completing the studies.
“I am not aware of any studies that have measured the impact of retardants on tropical forests. I don’t know if there are any. They probably weren’t developed for this type of ecosystem. I think it’s a dangerous bet if we don’t know the impacts,” he highlighted.
Mário Mantovani, director of SOS Mata Atlântica, also warned about the use of chemicals in biomes such as the Pantanal and the Amazon. “Fire retardant can contaminate rivers and should only be used in mountainous regions.”
This content was originally published in Fires reopen controversy over “flame retardant” chemistry in forests on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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