Big wildfires mobilize mercury. What are the risks to surface water?

Sever, Megan

doi:10.1073/pnas.2110558118

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, mercury in the environment is commonly associated with atmospheric deposition and can occur in storm runoff (Bank, 2012). Wildfires can volatilize mercury, depending on severity, resulting in less mercury loading to receiving streams (Burke et al, 2013;Sever, 2021). But Emelko et al (2011) reported approximately 60% higher mercury concentrations in post-wildfire salvaged logged watersheds, compared to an unburned watershed.…”

Section: Ecologic Processes and Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Conceptual Framework to Assess Post‐Wildfire Water Quality: State of the Science and Knowledge Gaps

Elliott,

Hornberger,

Rosenberry

et al. 2024

Water Resources Research

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Wildfire substantially alters aquatic ecosystems by inducing moderate to catastrophic physical and chemical changes. However, the relations of environmental and watershed variables that drive those effects are complex. We present a Driver‐Factor‐Stressor‐Effect (DFSE) conceptual framework to assess the current state of the science related to post‐wildfire water‐quality. We reviewed 64 peer‐reviewed papers using the DFSE framework to identify drivers, factors, stressors, and effects associated with each study. A total of five drivers were identified and ranked according to their frequency of occurrence in the literature: atmospheric processes > fire characteristics > ecologic processes and characteristics > land surface characteristics > soil characteristics. Commonly reported stressors include increased nutrients, runoff, and sediment transport. Furthermore, although several different factors have been used at least once to explain water‐quality effects, relatively few factors outside of precipitation and fire characteristics are frequently studied. We identified several gaps indicating the need for long‐term monitoring, multi‐factor studies, consideration of organic contaminants, consideration of groundwater, and inclusion of soil characteristics. This assessment expands on other reviews and meta‐analyses by exploring causal linkages between influential variables and overall effects in post‐wildfire watersheds. Information gathered from our assessment and the framework itself can be used to inform future monitoring plans and as a guide for modeling efforts focused on better understanding specific processes or to mitigate potential risks of post‐wildfire water quality.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Ecologic Processes and Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Conceptual Framework to Assess Post‐Wildfire Water Quality: State of the Science and Knowledge Gaps

Elliott,

Hornberger,

Rosenberry

et al. 2024

Water Resources Research

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“…Heavy rainfall after a severe fire can wash sediments and ash into the river and remove the system. Although less mercury remained in the soil in the watershed due to severe fires, a significant increase in sediment runoff after the storms increases the total amount of mercury in the river [21].…”

Section: Environmental Impact Of Mercury and Forest Fires And Factory...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental Impact of Mercury and Forest Fires and Factory Fire

Hayashi,

Suzuki,

Hamashima

et al. 2023

Fire Science and Technology

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Fires can cause serious damage when widespread. This study focuses on two types of fires, forest and factory fires, and investigates how toxic substances released affect the environment. Forest fires, caused by anthropogenic factors such as arson and natural factors such as lightning strikes, are widespread and severely damage ecosystems.Factory fires, caused by malfunctioning electrical equipment, mishandling of chemicals, or carelessness with fire, cause serious damage to the neighborhoods and environment.In addition, fires may release chemical substances present in factories. Mercury release is a common phenomenon in both fires. Fires burn mercury-containing vegetation and organic matter, thereby releasing mercury into the atmosphere. The released mercury is deposited in the soil, rivers, and other water bodies, accumulates in ecosystems (bioaccumulation), and moves up the food chain to higher organisms. Mercury poisoning can adversely affect the nervous and immune systems, causing developmental problems and impaired learning abilities, particularly in fetuses and young children. To reduce the damage caused owing to mercury release, fire prevention, early response, prevention of mercury spillage, and the proper management and storage of mercury are important.Currently, the international community has started working on the proper handling of mercury among nations by concluding the Minamata Convention.

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“…This study found that the Hg soil content could as well be an indicator to measure the impact of fire on the environment. This model can also be generalized to conduct additional studies under comparable bioaccumulation which could affect multiple species in a given ecosystem including humans (Sever, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contribution to understanding the influence of fires on the mercury cycle: Systematic review, dynamic modelling and application to sustainable hypothetical scenarios

López

Barrón

Bugallo

2022

Environ Monit Assess

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Mercury (Hg) mobilization and accumulation in the environment is directly related to forest fires. Biomass burning accounts for about 13% of the total contribution of Hg from natural sources. The aim of this work is to contribute to the knowledge of how wildfires modify mercury compounds behaviour and the effects it has in the Hg cycle, based on a systematic bibliographic review and analysis. Systems dynamics is an adequate focus to analyze the mobilization of Hg due to wildfires, which meets all the requirements to be studied by multimedia modelling. The development and application for the first time of a dynamic multimedia model of Hg taking into account specifically the influences of wildfires is one of the novelties of this work. Different scenarios show that an increase in the number of fires will consequently increase the mercury emitted into the atmosphere, modifying its natural cycle, producing a long-term modification of Hg compositions and concentrations in the different media. Hg movement caused by wildfires can cause complications in living beings and alter the ecosystems. This study found that the Hg soil content could as well be an indicator to measure the impact of fire on the environment. This model can also be generalized to conduct additional studies under comparable conditions, helping to understand the importance of forest fires in global Hg cycles. Graphical abstract

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Big wildfires mobilize mercury. What are the risks to surface water?

Cited by 8 publications

References 7 publications

A Conceptual Framework to Assess Post‐Wildfire Water Quality: State of the Science and Knowledge Gaps

A Conceptual Framework to Assess Post‐Wildfire Water Quality: State of the Science and Knowledge Gaps

Environmental Impact of Mercury and Forest Fires and Factory Fire

Contribution to understanding the influence of fires on the mercury cycle: Systematic review, dynamic modelling and application to sustainable hypothetical scenarios

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