Water pollution caused by ash from grassland fires alters the molecular, biochemical, and morphological biomarkers of non-biting midge larvae
Open accessAbstract
The frequency and intensity of wildfires have been increasing in many parts of the world, which may result in biodiversity loss. Wildfires can devastate plant communities, generating toxic ash that pollutes watercourses through runoff. However, our understanding of the effects of ash exposure on aquatic biodiversity is still limited. Here, Chironomus sancticaroli larvae were exposed to various concentrations of grassland ash (ranging from 0.01 to 100 g/L) in acute and subchronic assays. The tested ash concentrations are environmentally relevant, as similar levels have been observed in nature after moderate runoff in post-fire conditions. We experimentally tested whether ash-contaminated waters increase mortality, induce molecular and biochemical biomarker changes, and reduce body size in chironomid larvae. Results showed that grassland ash contains micro and nanoparticles with high solubility and is rich in metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Adding ash to the water increased pH, conductivity, and total solids while decreasing dissolved oxygen levels. The lethal concentration (LC50) of grassland ash for C. sancticaroli was estimated at 31.43 g/L after acute exposure. However, exposure to sublethal ash concentrations led to higher metallothionein and hemoglobin gene expression related to metal sequestration and adaptation to lower oxygen levels. At the biochemical level, ash exposure increased the activity of enzymes associated with detoxification capacity, such as alpha and beta esterases. It also led to oxidative stress and damage to cell membranes, as indicated by the increased enzymatic activity of superoxide dismutase, glutathione S-transferase, and lipid peroxidation. Finally, larvae exposed to ash reduced body size by up to 55 % at exposure to higher concentrations. As wildland fires produce ashes that are later moved to the aquatic ecosystem when lixiviated, impacting the resident aquatic biota, environmental managers should adopt measures to reduce the likelihood of wildfires and the ash load to watercourses.
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Wildfire ash is chemically complex, containing inorganic constituents (e.g., metals and base-cation oxides) and organic compounds, such as PAHs.
“Wildfire ash is chemically complex, containing inorganic constituents (e.g., metals and base-cation oxides) and organic compounds, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) [10,11].”
From Wildfire Ash Alters Freshwater Crustacean Behavior: Disentangling the Contributions of Suspended Macroparticles and Ash‐Induced Alkalinization (2026) · cites this paper as [10]
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- Authors
- Araujo, R. M. G., Schafaschek, A. M., Bezerra, C. W. F., Nogueira, D. J., Grassi, M. T., Navarro-Silva, M. A., & Figueiredo, B. R. S.
- Affiliations
- Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso (BR)
- Universidade Federal do Paraná (BR)
- Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (BR)
- Corresponding author
- Araujo, Ronnilda Maria Gonçalves
- ORCID
- Venue
- Journal of Hazardous Materials
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2025-03
- Volume
- 485
- Pages
- 136914
- ISSN
- 0304-3894 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4405428071
- Cited by
- 9
- References
- 65
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 6
- FWCI
- 1.59
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Update notices
- Open access
- green
- dx.doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Hazardous Materials (publishedVersion)
- SSRN Electronic Journal (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
- Foundation for Research Support and Innovation of Santa Catarina State (PJP2021321000109)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Environmental Toxicology and Ecotoxicology
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Freshwater macroinvertebrate diversity and ecology
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact
- Keywords
- wildfire ash, water pollution, Chironomus sancticaroli, biomarkers, metallothionein, hemoglobin gene expression, oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, esterase activity, sublethal toxicity, body size reduction, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, metal contamination, aquatic biodiversity, post-fire runoff
- MeSH terms
- Wildfires, Animals, Chironomidae, Larva, Water Pollutants, Chemical, Water Pollution, Biomarkers, Coal Ash, Grassland
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