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Cited by 152Fire effects on ecosystemsHeavy metals in environmentCoal and Its By-products

Major and trace elements in soils and ashes of eucalypt and pine forest plantations in Portugal following a wildfire

Campos, Isabel, Abrantes, Nelson, Keizer, Jan Jacob, Vale, Carlos, Pereira, Patrícia·2016·Science of The Total Environment
DOI 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.01.190
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Abstract

Wildfires can play an important role in the environmental distribution of major and trace elements, including through their mobilization by fire-induced runoff and associated transport of soil and ash particles. In particular, fire-induced inputs of these elements into the environment are relevant due to their toxicity and environmental persistence. This study aimed to evaluate the role of wildfire and time-since-fire on the redistribution of major and trace elements, which is a topic poorly documented. To this end, levels of V, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Cd and Pb were assessed in soil and ash samples collected immediately following a wildfire in north-central Portugal as well as 4 (after the first post-fire rainfall events), 8 and 15months later. The role of forest type was determined by sampling burnt eucalypt and pine plantations. The main findings of this study were the following: (1) levels of V, Mn, Ni, Cd and Pb were consistently higher in the burnt than unburnt soils, while levels of Co and Cu revealed no differences; (2) time-since-fire affected major and trace elements in three different ways: concentrations of Mn and Cd declined abruptly after the first rainfall events while levels of V, Co and Ni increased during the first 8months and levels of Cu and Pb hardly changed during the study period; (3) all studied elements revealed peak concentrations in the ashes immediately after the fire, which then declined sharply four months later; (4) levels of Co and Ni soils and ashes were higher at the pine plantations than at the eucalypt plantations. This study highlighted the role of wildfire in enhancing levels of major and trace elements in ashes and topsoil of forest plantations and their mobilization within the first year after fire, pointing towards recently burnt forest areas as a potential source of environmental contamination.

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  • Concentrations of Pb, Cu, Hg, Ni, Cr, and Cd in the wildfire ash were below 100 mg kg-1, similar to previous studies.

    “Lower concentrations (<100 mg kg -1 ) were obtained for the remaining metals analysed (i.e., Pb, Cu, Hg, Ni, Cr, and Cd) similar to the concentrations reported in previous studies (e.g., Brito et al., 2017;Campos et al., 2016;Santos et al., 2023; Table 1).”

    From Chemical characteristics of wildfire ash across the globe and their environmental and socio-economic implications (2023) · cites this paper as Campos et al., 2016

  • Campos et al. (2016) reported reductions in elemental concentrations (Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and V) four months after fire compared with ash immediately after fire.

    “Similarly, Campos et al. (2016) also reported reductions in elemental concentration (i.e., Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and V) four months after the fire compared with ash immediately after the fire from eucalypt and pine forest plantations (Portugal).”

    From Chemical characteristics of wildfire ash across the globe and their environmental and socio-economic implications (2023) · cites this paper as Campos et al., 2016

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Authors
Campos, I., Abrantes, N., Keizer, J. J., Vale, C., & Pereira, P.
Affiliations
  • Portuguese Sea and Atmosphere Institute (PT)
  • Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (PT)
Corresponding author
Campos, Isabel
ORCID
Venue
Science of The Total Environment
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2016-12
Volume
572
Pages
1363-1376
ISSN
0048-9697 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.01.190
OpenAlex
W2269065552
Cited by
152
References
125
Citations by year
2026: 11 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 2
FWCI
7.91
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • The Science of The Total Environment (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • European Regional Development Fund
  • Portuguese Republic
  • PEst (PEst-C/MAR/LA0017/2013)
  • FIRECNUTS (PTDC/AGR-CFL/104559/2008)
  • FIRETOX (PTDC/AAC-AMB/112438/2009)
  • EU-FP7 project RECARE (603498)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Fire effects on ecosystems
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Heavy metals in environment
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geochemistry and Petrology › Coal and Its By-products
Keywords
forest fires, ash, trace elements, heavy metals, eucalyptus plantations, pine plantations, forest types, time since fire, manganese, cadmium, vanadium, nickel, cobalt, copper, lead, environmental contamination
MeSH terms
Environmental Monitoring, Eucalyptus, Fires, Portugal, Soil, Soil Pollutants, Trace Elements, Forestry, Pinus, Forests

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