Assessing Forest Fire as a Potential PCDD/F Source in Queensland, Australia

Forest fires are suggested as a potential and significant source of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), even though no studies to date provide sufficient evidence to confirm forest fires as a source of PCDD/Fs. Recent investigations in Queensland, Australia...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental science & technology 2003-10, Vol.37 (19), p.4325-4329
Main Authors: Prange, Joelle A, Gaus, Caroline, Weber, Roland, Päpke, Olaf, Müller, Jochen F
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied sciences
Benzofurans - analysis
Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated
Earth sciences
Earth, ocean, space
Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics
Environmental Monitoring
Exact sciences and technology
Fires
Forest & brush fires
Freshwater
PCB
Pollution
Pollution sources. Measurement results
Pollution, environment geology
Polychlorinated biphenyls
Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins - analogs & derivatives
Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins - analysis
Queensland
Soil and sediments pollution
Soil Pollutants - analysis
Trees
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Summary:Forest fires are suggested as a potential and significant source of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), even though no studies to date provide sufficient evidence to confirm forest fires as a source of PCDD/Fs. Recent investigations in Queensland, Australia have identified a widespread contamination of PCDDs (in particular OCDD) in soils and sediments in the coastal region from an unknown source of PCDD/Fs. Queensland is predominately rural; it has few known anthropogenic sources of PCDD/Fs, whereas forest fires are a frequent occurrence. This study was conducted to assess forest fires as a potential source of the unknown PCDD/F contamination in Queensland. A combustion experiment was designed to assess the overall mass of PCDD/Fs before and after a simulated forest fire. The results from this study did not identify an increase in ∑PCDD/Fs or OCDD after the combustion process. However, specific non-2,3,7,8 substituted lower chlorinated PCDD/Fs were elevated after the combustion process, suggesting formation from a precursor. The results from this study indicate that forest fires are unlikely to be the source of the unknown PCDD contamination in Queensland, rather they are a key mechanism for the redistribution of PCDD/Fs from existing sources and precursors.
ISSN:0013-936X
1520-5851
DOI:10.1021/es0343454