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As several wildfires burn across the country, a new study has linked wildfire suppressants to heavy metals that could be contaminating the environment. Higher concentrations of toxic metals are often found in waterways following wildfires, but the reason for these spikes was not understood, with some scientists suspecting that the elements were naturally present in soil. A paper published in the journal Environment Science & Technology Letters now suggests that the source of these toxic metals may be the fire suppressant products used to fight wildfires.
"Wildfires are associated with the release of toxic heavy metals to the environment, but until now, it was assumed that these metals came from natural sources like soil," said Daniel McCurry, the study's lead author. "We now know that fire retardants may contribute to these metal releases."
Researchers tested 14 commercially-available fire suppressant products for the presence of 10 heavy metals, selected because they are known toxins or are regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Of the 14 products tested, every one contained at least eight of the 10 heavy metals, and every one contained at least one heavy metal at a concentration higher than the EPA's limits for drinking water. One product was found to contain one toxic metal at a concentration of 727 times the EPA's limit, and another at a concentration of 2,880 times the EPA's limit.
"As rates of aerial fire retardant application have grown, likely so too have loadings of toxic metals released into the environment from their use, a trend which may intensify if wildfire frequency and intensity continues to increase," the study's authors wrote. Wildfire frequency and intensity are likely to continue to increase as human development pushes further into the wildland-urban interface, land managers remain hesitant to use important tools such as prescribed fire, and climate change makes unnatural wildfires ever-more catastrophic.
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We reject the notion that this is a zero-sum game between renewable energy buildout and habitat conservation. We can do both.”
