ETOX 2 - Toxic extinguishing runoff water from fires in electric vehicles

Highlighted fires in electric vehicles may have a negative impact on the energy transition.

Fire products formed in the event of a battery fire constitute a potential problem and in previous studies it has been reported that the smoke contains large amounts of metals.

This is one of the largest differences between fires in electric vehicles compared to conventional vehicles, but there are no studies on how this difference may affect the environment via the extinguishing runoff water. In the project, runoff water from full-scale fire tests will be analysed and used in toxicity studies.

The results will be valuable in risk analysis and be the basis for assessing how to handle the fire, whether washing off fire gases is relevant, what amounts of extinguishing water are appropriate and whether the extinguishing water should be collected afterwards.

Increased knowledge contributes to more effective firefighting while considering potential environmental and health effects.