All posts tagged: foam

Australia sues 3M for bn over PFAS contamination linked to aqueous film-forming foam

Australia sues 3M for $2bn over PFAS contamination linked to aqueous film-forming foam

Published by skeptic

The Australian Government has launched Federal Court proceedings against 3M Australia Pty Ltd and its US parent company, 3M Company, over widespread PFAS contamination linked to aqueous film-forming foam used at defence sites. The Commonwealth is seeking damages exceeding $2bn to recover costs associated with investigating, containing and remediating contamination at 28 defence bases nationwide. The case centres on allegations that 3M failed to fully disclose environmental risks associated with aqueous film-forming foam, commonly known as AFFF, despite allegedly having knowledge of the long-term contamination risks posed by PFAS chemicals. The Commonwealth also claims the company provided assurances about the product’s environmental safety and disposal methods that were inconsistent with internal knowledge available at the time. The legal action represents one of the Australian Government’s largest environmental recovery claims tied to PFAS contamination. The Department of Defence has already spent more than $1.3bn managing the fallout from the historical use of aqueous film-forming foam and says substantial future costs are expected as remediation work continues across affected communities. Speaking on the lawsuit, Australia’s Attorney-General, Michelle …

Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid Mattress Review: Going for Gold and Good Sleep

Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid Mattress Review: Going for Gold and Good Sleep

Published by skeptic

Photograph: Julia Forbes Based on the advertised deep contouring and pressure-relieving AirCradle foam, I expected the pressure relief to be a standout feature, but it wasn’t. This is not to say that pressure relief was absent in testing, but it was minimal compared to that of firmer hybrid mattresses I’ve tested such as the DreamCloud Hybrid or the Wolf Memory Foam Hybrid Premium Firm. Which brings me to firmness: By my measure, this was not a “medium” mattress. Saatva rates this mattress between 5 and 7 on the firmness scale, so it falls in the medium-firm range. Unless you’re more than 200 pounds or have a taller build, your body mass would lead to more sinkage. This felt like a true firm mattress, which I’d rate at 7.5 to 8 out of 10. For context, the firmer hybrid mattresses we’ve tested, like the Plank Firm Luxe and Bear Elite Hybrid, reside in the 8 to 10 range of the firmness scale. To be clear, a firm mattress is not at all a bad thing. The …

The Best Mattress Toppers (2026): Supportive, Plush, Memory Foam

The Best Mattress Toppers (2026): Supportive, Plush, Memory Foam

Published by skeptic

Honorable Mentions Not everything we test makes the cut as a pick, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad mattress topper. Here are a few that our testers slept on and got a good night’s sleep with but didn’t love as much as the picks above. Avocado Alpaca Topper for $1,313: If you’re looking for a mattress topper that’s extra soft, WIRED reviewer Scott Gilbertson recommends the Avocado Alpaca Mattress Topper. He says it’s one of the softest things he’s ever slept on, and that it’s like sleeping in a cocoon of fluffiness. While it’s only 2 inches thick, it still has that cozy sinking sensation of deeper mattress toppers. There are two options: medium-firm or plush, with the first using organic wool and the second using what Avocado calls “baby alpaca” fiber. Luckily that’s a reference to how soft it is, not the age of the alpaca itself. It’s certainly a luxury purchase, but a great pick of you want something super soft. Right now only the twin and twin XL sizes are in …

Making the transition to PFAS-free firefighting foam

Making the transition to PFAS-free firefighting foam

Published by skeptic

Jerry Back, Senior Fire Protection Engineer at Jensen Hughes, offers guidance on how the fire safety industry can support the phase out of PFAS in firefighting foam. Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are valued for their exceptional fire-suppressing properties, yet they present significant environmental and health hazards. Historically, one of the most popular firefighting foams was aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), which is used to suppress flammable liquid fires. However, the same properties that make PFAS useful in firefighting also make them exceptionally persistent in the environment. Once released, PFAS can accumulate in soil, groundwater, wildlife, and the human body, remaining for years or even decades. Growing scientific evidence has linked PFAS exposure to a range of environmental and public health concerns, prompting increased scrutiny of AFFF use. Firefighters, military personnel, and communities near training sites and airports have been identified as particularly vulnerable to contamination. As awareness has grown, so too have regulatory actions, lawsuits, and efforts to transition toward safer alternatives. Today, AFFF sits at the centre of a global reassessment of how we …