Abstract
The purpose of this study is the evaluation of fire effect on contaminated land and the assessment of the associated risk of human health and terrestrial ecological receptors. Ash and soil samples were gathered from burned and unburned areas (central Evia, Greece) which are adjacent with a Natura 2000 area. The geochemical dataset includes 20 sampling sites and 35 elements. The wildfire severity was investigated by applying a macroscopic approach and field observations. Statistical and spatial analysis were applied for delineating the distribution of elements in ash and soil. Elemental balance approach was performed for estimating net gain (+) or loss (−) to the ash. Element contents in sampling sites were compared to screening values proposed by the literature. Hundreds of hectares of burned land including wildland areas in central Evia are contaminated with (contents in mg Kg−1), Co (up to 43.5), Cr (up to 244), Mn (up to 1158), Ni (up to 463) associated with geogenic sources such as serpentinite peridotites and Ni-laterite deposits. Aluminum, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, V and Zn contents recorded in the sampling sites are posing a potential risk to human health and ecological receptors.
Highlights
Driven wildfire events are expected to increase in response to predicted global warming [1]
The median values of major constituents of Kontodespoti-Makrimalli ash samples are classified in the following decreasing order: Ca (15.65%) > Mg (3.09%) > Fe (2.67%) > Al (1.37%) > K (0.53%) > Ti (0.095%) > S (0.09%)
The findings of this study showed that median ash contents for B, Ba, Ca, Cd, Cu, K, P, Pb and
Summary
Driven wildfire events are expected to increase in response to predicted global warming [1]. Forest fire is a key agent of environmental change through its sensitivity to drought and climatic factors [2]. Fires are widespread in Pinus forests at Mediterranean region and can rearrange the vertical and horizontal distribution of elements in soils as well as mobilization of particulates into the environment. Fire events release vast amounts of methane, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide directly to the atmosphere and particulates [2]. Wildfires are among the natural sources of aerosols containing trace elements [3].
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