An interdisciplinary research team from the Faculty of Agriculture and Medico laboratories for pharmaceutical product has announced the invention of a multi-purpose natural material that combines high efficiency in extinguishing fires and the ability to delay ignition when sprayed around areas threatened by fire, while also being nutritious for plants and usable as a fertilizer in addition to its function in fighting fires.
This innovation represents an environmentally safe alternative to the chemicals traditionally used in fire suppression, which have been shown to have negative effects on the environment and public health.
The material was field-tested twice: the first time on the university campus, and the second time in cooperation with the Civil Defense on different types of trees. The results showed high effectiveness in extinguishing fires and preventing re-ignition, even when an attempt was made to ignite them a second time.
This work comes as a direct response to the forest fires that Syria has recently witnessed, and as an expression of the university’s role in employing scientific research to address pressing societal issues.
The horizon of this innovation extends to promising future visions, as the material can be developed to be used in the manufacture of protective clothing for firefighters, or as a natural material that helps in treating burns, giving it a human and medical dimension in addition to its environmental role
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The team emphasizes that this innovation is not the end goal, but rather the beginning of a path of scientific research aimed at finding realistic and sustainable solutions to various challenges, based on a firm conviction that science should be employed in the service of humanity and society.
