Release of mercury from Rocky Mountain forest fires
Open accessAbstract
Concentrations of mercury (Hg) in soil profiles and vegetation were examined in unburned areas and in areas recently burned by wildfires of low, medium, and high fire severities in western Wyoming. Paired unburned and burned sampling sites with similar tree species composition, forest stand age, climate, and geological substrate were studied. Results indicate that Hg release from forest fires is dependent on the tree species composition of the forest, which affects prefire Hg accumulation, as well as the forest fire severity. On the basis of an average of 2.7 × 10 6 ha of forest and shrubland burned annually in the United States we estimate that wildfires and prescribed burns in the United States release 19 to 64 × 10 6 g of Hg annually. This represents between 13 and 42% of the estimated United States anthropogenic Hg flux of 150 × 10 6 g.
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The strong affinity of metals for ash and fine sediments indicates fire effects on metals may be long lasting.
“While postfire metal concentration and export data for receiving streams are limited, the strong affinity of metals for ash and fine sediments indicates fire effects on metals may be long lasting.60”
From Wildfire and the Future of Water Supply (2014) · cites this paper as [60]
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A global assessment of natural sources of atmospheric trace metals
Nriagu, J. O. (1989) · Nature · doi:10.1038/338047a0 · Cited by 1,702 · see citing works
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Wildfire and the Future of Water Supply
Bladon, K. D., Emelko, M. B., Silins, U., & Stone, M. (2014) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/es500130g · Cited by 354 · see citing works
Forest Fire Effects on Mercury Deposition in the Boreal Forest
Witt, E. L., Kolka, R. K., Nater, E. A., & Wickman, T. R. (2009) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/es802634y · Cited by 53 · see citing works
- Authors
- Biswas, A., Blum, J. D., Klaue, B., & Keeler, G. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Michigan (US)
- ORCID
- Blum, Joel D.
- Venue
- Global Biogeochemical Cycles
- Publisher
- American Geophysical Union (AGU)
- Published
- 2007-01-09
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 1
- ISSN
- 0886-6236 (ISSN-L)
- 1944-9224
- OpenAlex
- W1501195950
- Cited by
- 117
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 5.82
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Global Biogeochemical Cycles (publishedVersion)
- Deep Blue (University of Michigan) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Interagency Fire Center
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Mercury impact and mitigation studies
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Fire effects on ecosystems
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Atmospheric Science › Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols
- Keywords
- mercury release, forest fires, prescribed burning, fire severity, tree species composition, soil mercury, Rocky Mountain forests, western Wyoming
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