Abstract: As a category of fire safety products, foam fire extinguishing agent have raised global concern due to the environmental pollution and ecotoxicity effects resulting from their widespread and extensive use. Consequently, substantial researches have been conducted by domestic and international researchers on the environmental properties of these agents. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the evaluation indicators and methodologies for assessing the environmental properties of foam fire extinguishing agents worldwide. It analyzes the environmental performance characteristics of major types of foam fire extinguishing agents used domestically and internationally, and compares the differences in relevant standards and certification systems concerning environmental properties across various regions. Considering the current status of production and application within China, future recommendations are proposed. This review aims to provide references for advancing research on environmental performance evaluation of foam fire extinguishing agents in China, refining relevant standards, and mitigating the environmental risks associated with their use.

Key words: foam fire extinguishing agent, environmental performance, ecotoxicity, biodegradability, environmental organic loading