Abstract
This paper investigates the fractional and spatial distribution characteristics of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in smoke particles and residual ashes from mine-park-biomass combustion. It then evaluates the consequential potential environment risk by using a Geo-accumulation index and Nemerow pollution index methods. Biomass combustibles are comprised of Camphor leaves (CL), Camphor dead-branch (CB), Ramie (RA), Miscanthus sinensis (MS), and Dryopteris (DR). The results show that the products of combustion contain PTEs, As, Cr, Cu, and Zn, etc. Among them, the content of As, Cr, Cu, Pb elements in smoke particles of CB was higher than other combustibles. Moreover, Cr, Mn, Ni, and Pb in residual ashes of CL were higher than others. The proportion of acid-soluble and reducible fraction of As in residual ash was higher, while Cr existed mainly in the oxidizable and residual fraction. Besides, the available state of As gradually decreased from 74% (400 °C) to 41% (800 °C), indicating that the increase of temperature significantly reduced the bioavailability of As. Meanwhile, with the increase of temperature, the concentration of PTEs in smoke particles decreased and PTEs in residual ashes increased in different degrees. The risk evaluation results indicate that PTEs may cause moderate or higher levels of contamination. The overall contamination level of PTEs in the residual ashes of CB was higher than that of other plant. The results show in this study would contribute to understanding the environmental risks of wildfire and prescribed burning in PTEs-contaminated areas.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article (and supplementary information files).
Code availability
Not applicable.
References
Abraham, J., Dowling, K., & Florentine, S. (2017). The unquantified risk of post-fire metal concentration in soil: A review. Water Air & Soil Pollution, 228(5), 175. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-017-3338-0
Abraham, J., Dowling, K., & Florentine, S. (2018). Controlled burn and immediate mobilization of potentially toxic elements in soil, from a legacy mine site in Central Victoria, Australia. Science of the Total Environment, 616–617, 1022–1034. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.10.216
Babrauskas, V., Twilley, W. H., Janssens, M., & Yusa, S. (1992). Cone calorimeter for controlled-atmosphere studies. Fire and Materials, 16(1), 37–43. https://doi.org/10.1002/fam.810160106
Barbero, R., Abatzoglou, J. T., Larkin, N. K., Kolden, C. A., & Stocks, B. (2015). Climate change presents increased potential for very large fires in the contiguous United States. International Journal of Wildland Fire, 24(7), 892–899. https://doi.org/10.1071/WF15083
Beda, P. X. Ã. (2010). Spatial distribution of heavy metals released from ashes after a wildfire. Journal of Environmental Engineering and Landscape Management, 18(1), 13–22. https://doi.org/10.3846/jeelm.2010.02
Burges, A., Alkorta, I., Epelde, L., & Garbisu, C. (2018). From phytoremediation of soil contaminants to phytomanagement of ecosystem services in metal contaminated sites. International Journal of Phytoremediation, 20(4), 384–397. https://doi.org/10.1080/15226514.2017.1365340
Campos, I., Abrantes, N., Keizer, J. J., Vale, C., & Pereira, P. (2016). Major and trace elements in soils and ashes of eucalypt and pine forest plantations in Portugal following a wildfire. Science of the Total Environment, 572, 1363–1376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.01.190
Campos, I., Vale, C., Abrantes, N., Keizer, J. J., & Pereira, P. (2015). Effects of wildfire on mercury mobilisation in eucalypt and pine forests. CATENA, 131, 149–159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2015.02.024
CEPM, & BLR. (2014, 2019-12-28). Survey report on soil pollution in China. http://www.gov.c-n/xinwen/2014-04/17/content_2661765.htm
Chen, C. J., Chiou, H. Y., Chiang, M. H., Lin, L. J., & Tai, T. Y. (1996). Dose–response relationship between ischemic heart disease mortality and long-term arsenic exposure. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, 16(4), 504. https://doi.org/10.1161/01.ATV.16.4.504
CNEMC. (1990). The soil background value in China. China Environmental Science Press.
Costa, M. R., Calvão, A. R., & Aranha, J. (2014). Linking wildfire effects on soil and water chemistry of the Maro River watershed, Portugal, and biomass changes detected from Landsat imagery. Applied Geochemistry, 44, 93–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2013.09.009
DeBano, L. F. (2000). The role of fire and soil heating on water repellency in wildland environments: A review. Journal of Hydrology, 231(NO.Special SI), 195–206. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-1694(00)00194-3
Dudka, S., & Adriano, D. C. (1997). Environmental impacts of metal ore mining and processing: A review. Journal of Environmental Quality, 26(3), 590–602. https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq1997.00472425002600030003x
Duffus, J. H. (2001). “Heavy Metals”—A meaningless term. Chemistry International-Newsmagazine for IUPAC, 23(6), 163–167. https://doi.org/10.1351/pac200274050793
Dundar, M. S., Altundag, H., Eyupoglu, V., Keskin, S. C., & Tutunoglu, C. (2012). Determination of heavy metals in lower Sakarya river sediments using a BCR-sequential extraction procedure. Environmental Monitoring & Assessment, 184(1), 33–41. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-011-1944-7
Dupuy, J. L. (1995). Slope and fuel load effects on fire behavior: Laboratory experiments in pine needles fuel beds. International Journal of Wildland Fire, 5(3), 153–164. https://doi.org/10.1071/WF9950153
Ebel, B. A., & Moody, J. A. (2017). Synthesis of soil-hydraulic properties and infiltration time-scales in wildfire-affected soils. Hydrological Processes, 31(2), 324–340. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.10998
Fernandez, E., Jimenez, R., Lallena, A. M., & Aguilar, J. (2004). Evaluation of the BCR sequential extraction procedure applied for two unpolluted Spanish soils. Environmental Pollution, 131(3), 355–364. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2004.03.013
Fraser, R. H., & Li, Z. (2002). Estimating fire-related parameters in boreal forest using spot vegetation. Remote Sensing of Environment, 82(1), 95–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0034-4257(02)00027-5
Grigal, D. F. (2003). Mercury sequestration in forests and peatlands: A review. Journal of Environmental Quality, 32(2), 393–405. https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2003.0393
Gutiérrez, M., Mickus, K., & Camacho, L. M. (2016). Abandoned PbZn mining wastes and their mobility as proxy to toxicity: A review. Science of the Total Environment, 565, 392–400. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.04.143
Hodson, M. E. (2004). Heavy metals—Geochemical bogey men? Environmental Pollution, 129(3), 341–343. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2003.11.003
Hu, R., Liu, J., & Zhai, M. (2011). Mineral resources science and technology in China: A roadmap to 2050. Springer Science & Business Media.
Hu, Y., Wang, J., Deng, K., & Ren, J. (2014). Characterization on heavy metals transferring into flue gas during sewage sludge combustion. Energy Procedia, 61, 2867–2870. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2014.12.325
Jagustyn, B., Kmie, M., Dowski, S., & Sajdak, M. (2017). The content and emission factors of heavy metals in biomass used for energy purposes in the context of the requirements of international standards. Journal of the Energy Institute, 90(5), 704–714. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joei.2016.07.007
Jakubus, M., Kaczmarek, Z., Michalik, J., & Grzelak, M. (2010). The effect of different tree plantings and soil preparation methods on contents of selected heavy metals in post-fire soils. Fresenius Environmental Bulletin, 19(2a), 312–317.
Kelly, E. N., Schindler, D. W., St Louis, V. L., Donald, D. B., & Vlaclicka, K. E. (2006). Forest fire increases mercury accumulation by fishes via food web restructuring and increased mercury inputs. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 103(51), 19380–19385. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0609798104
Khanna, P. K., Raison, R. J., & Falkiner, R. A. (1994). Chemical properties of ash derived from Eucalyptus litter and its effects on forest soils. Forest Ecology & Management, 66(1–3), 107–125. https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-1127(94)90151-1
Kowalska, J. B., Mazurek, R., Gąsiorek, M., & Zaleski, T. (2018). Pollution indices as useful tools for the comprehensive evaluation of the degree of soil contamination—A review. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 40(6), 2395–2420. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-018-0106-z
Liu, H., Probst, A., & Liao, B. (2005). Metal contamination of soils and crops affected by the Chenzhou lead/zinc mine spill (Hunan, China). Science of the Total Environment, 339(1–3), 153–166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2004.07.030
Ma, W., Tai, L., Qiao, Z., Zhong, L., Wang, Z., Fu, K., & Chen, G. (2018). Contamination source apportionment and health risk assessment of heavy metals in soil around municipal solid waste incinerator: A case study in North China. Science of the Total Environment, 631–632, 348–357. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.03.011
Maiz, I., Esnaola, M. V., & Millán, E. (1997). Evaluation of heavy metal availability in contaminated soils by a short sequential extraction procedure. Science of the Total Environment, 206(2–3), 107–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0048-9697(97)80002-2
Marco, A. D., Gentile, A. E., Arena, C., & Santo, A. D. (2005). Organic matter, nutrient content and biological activity in burned and unburned soils of a Mediterranean maquis area of southern Italy. International Journal of Wildland Fire, 14(4), 365–377. https://doi.org/10.1071/wf05030
McCutcheon, S. C., & Schnoor, J. L. (2003). Overview of phytotransformation and control of wastes. In Phytoremediation: Transformation and control of contaminants (3-58). John Wiley & Sons Inc.
Mickler, R. A., Earnhardt, T. S., & Moore, J. A. (2002). Regional estimation of current and future forest biomass. Environmental Pollution, 116, S7–S16. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0269-7491(01)00241-X
Miller, B., Dugwell, D. R., & Kandiyoti, R. (2003). The influence of injected HCl and SO2 on the behavior of trace elements during wood-bark combustion. Energy & Fuels, 17(5), 1382–1391. https://doi.org/10.1021/ef030020x
Moody, J. A., Kinner, D. A., & Úbeda, X. (2009). Linking hydraulic properties of fire-affected soils to infiltration and water repellency. Journal of Hydrology, 379(3–4), 291–303. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2009.10.015
Muller, G. (1969). Index of geoaccumulation in sediments of the Rhine River. GeoJournal, 2, 108–118.
Murphy, S. F., McCleskey, R. B., Martin, D. A., Holloway, J. M., & Writer, J. H. (2020). Wildfire-driven changes in hydrology mobilize arsenic and metals from legacy mine waste. Science of the Total Environment, 743, 140635. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140635
Pearce, D. C., Dowling, K., & Sim, M. R. (2012). Cancer incidence and soil arsenic exposure in a historical gold mining area in Victoria, Australia: A geospatial analysis. Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, 22(3), 248–257. https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2012.15
Punjak, W. A., Uberoi, M., & Shadman, F. (1989). High-temperature adsorption of alkali vapors on solid sorbents. AIChE Journal, 35, 1186–1194. https://doi.org/10.1002/aic.690350714
Ranđelović, D., Gajić, G., Mutić, J., Pavlović, P., Mihailović, N., & Jovanović, S. (2016). Ecological potential of Epilobium dodonaei Vill. for restoration of metalliferous mine wastes. Ecological Engineering, 95, 800–810. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2016.07.015
Rauret, G., López-Sánchez, J. F., Sahuquillo, A., Rubio, R., Davidson, C., Ure, A., & Quevauviller, P. (1999). Improvement of the BCR three step sequential extraction procedure prior to the certification of new sediment and soil reference materials. Journal of Environmental Monitoring, 1(1), 57–61. https://doi.org/10.1039/A807854H
Sánchez-Pinillos, M., De Cáceres, M., Casals, P., Alvarez, A., Beltrán, M., Pausas, J. G., Vayr-eda, J., & Coll, L. (2021). Spatial and temporal variations of overstory and understory fuels in Mediterranean landscapes. Forest Ecology and Management, 490, 119094. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2021.119094
Shcherbov, B. L. (2012). The role of forest floor in migration of metals and artificial nuclides during forest fires in Siberia. Contemporary Problems of Ecology, 5(2), 191–199. https://doi.org/10.1134/S1995425512020114
Shin, H., Sidharthan, M., & Young, K. S. (2002). Forest fire ash impact on micro- and macroalgae in the receiving waters of the east coast of South Korea. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 45(1–12), 203–209. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0025-326X(02)00156-X
Sungur, A., Soylak, M., & Ozcan, H. (2014). Investigation of heavy metal mobility and availability by the BCR sequential extraction procedure: Relationship between soil properties and heavy metals availability. Chemical Speciation & Bioavailability, 26(4), 219–230. https://doi.org/10.3184/095422914X14147781158674
Ulery, A. L., Graham, R. C., & Amrhein, C. (1993). Wood-ash composition and soil pH following intense burning. Soil Science, 156(5), 358–364. https://doi.org/10.1097/00010694-199311000-00008
Xiaopin, Z., Bing, W., Shan, J., & Xuerong, D. (2010). The analysis for the calcium carbonate at high temperatures. Guangdong Chemical Industry, 5, 35.
Yao-Guo, W., You-Ning, X., & Zhang, J. H. (2010). Evaluation of ecological risk and primary empirical research on heavy metals in polluted soil over Xiaoqinling gold mining region, Shaanxi, China. Transactions of Nonferrous Metals Society of China, 20(4), 688–694. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1003-6326(09)60199-0
Young, D. R., & Jan, T. (1977). Fire fallout of metals off California. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 8(5), 109–112. https://doi.org/10.1016/0025-326X(77)90133-3
Yu, J., Sun, L., Wang, B., Qiao, Y., Xiang, J., Hu, S., Yao, H. (2016). Study on the behavior of heavy metals during thermal treatment of municipal solid waste (MSW) components. Environmental Science & Pollution Research, 23(1), 253–265. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-5644-7
Zhang, J., Xu, Y., Wu, Y., Hu, S., & Zhang, Y. (2019). Dynamic characteristics of heavy metal accumulation in the farmland soil over Xiaoqinling gold-mining region, Shaanxi, China. Environmental Earth Sciences, 78(1), 21–25. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-018-8013-2
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful for the financial support of National Natural Science Foundation of China (51504174 and 51876148) and the technical support from the Analytical and Testing Center of Wuhan University of Technology.
Funding
This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant numbers [51504174] and [51876148]).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by [XY], [BZ], [ZT] and [CL]. The combustion experiments were instructed by [KL]. The manuscript was written and finalized by [YL] and all authors commented on the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Ethical approval
Not applicable.
Consent to participate
Not applicable.
Consent for publication
All authors have given consent to the publication of this article.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Supplementary Information
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Liu, Y., Ye, X., Zhou, B. et al. Potentially toxic elements in smoke particles and residual ashes by biomass combustion from Huangshi National Mine Park, China. Environ Geochem Health 45, 629–645 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-022-01232-w
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-022-01232-w