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Baldwin AK, Willacker JJ, Johnson BL, Janssen SE, Eagles-Smith CA. Wildfires Influence Mercury Transport, Methylation, and Bioaccumulation in Headwater Streams of the Pacific Northwest. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:14396-14409. [PMID: 39078944 PMCID: PMC11325654 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c00789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
The increasing frequency and severity of wildfires are among the most visible impacts of climate change. However, the effects of wildfires on mercury (Hg) transformations and bioaccumulation in stream ecosystems are poorly understood. We sampled soils, water, sediment, in-stream leaf litter, periphyton, and aquatic invertebrates in 36 burned (one-year post fire) and 21 reference headwater streams across the northwestern U.S. to evaluate the effects of wildfire occurrence and severity on total Hg (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) transport and bioaccumulation. Suspended particulate THg and MeHg concentrations were 89 and 178% greater in burned watersheds compared to unburned watersheds and increased with burn severity, likely associated with increased soil erosion. Concentrations of filter-passing THg were similar in burned and unburned watersheds, but filter-passing MeHg was 51% greater in burned watersheds, and suspended particles in burned watersheds were enriched in MeHg but not THg, suggesting higher MeHg production in burned watersheds. Among invertebrates, MeHg in grazers, filter-feeders, and collectors was 33, 48, and 251% greater in burned watersheds, respectively, but did not differ in shredders or predators. Thus, increasing wildfire frequency and severity may yield increased MeHg production, mobilization, and bioaccumulation in headwaters and increased transport of particulate THg and MeHg to downstream environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin K Baldwin
- US Geological Survey, Idaho Water Science Center, Boise, Idaho 83702, United States
| | - James J Willacker
- US Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, United States
| | - Branden L Johnson
- US Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, United States
| | - Sarah E Janssen
- US Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Madison, Wisconsin 53726, United States
| | - Collin A Eagles-Smith
- US Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, United States
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Paul MJ, LeDuc SD, Lassiter MG, Moorhead LC, Noyes PD, Leibowitz SG. Wildfire Induces Changes in Receiving Waters: A Review With Considerations for Water Quality Management. WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH 2022; 58:1-28. [PMID: 36968177 PMCID: PMC10034714 DOI: 10.1029/2021wr030699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Wildfires have increased in frequency in many ecosystems, with implications for human health and the environment, including water quality. Increased fire frequency and urbanization also raise the prospect of fires burning into urban areas, mobilizing pollutants few have considered to date. As a result, water quality managers lack information to anticipate, respond to and potentially mitigate wildfire impacts. Here, we reviewed the scientific literature to assess wildfire effects on response endpoints of a conceptual model linking fire to water quality, quantifying response directionality, magnitude and duration. Physically, water yield, sediments, and temperature all increased post-fire. Chemically, nutrients, ions, organic chemicals, and metals increased in burned watersheds, sometimes by orders of magnitude over pre-fire or reference conditions. In select cases, post-fire concentrations exceeded aquatic life criteria or drinking water standards, at times even in the finished drinking water. Biological assemblages commonly declined after post-fire runoff events. The duration of effects was less than 5 yr for most endpoints (e.g., metals) on average following fire, although effects did extend 15 yr or more in some individual cases. We found only a few studies on pollutants mobilized from wildfire impacted urban areas with benzene contamination in drinking water and high metal concentrations in ash prominent exceptions. Overall, this review provides a resource for understanding wildfire impacts on water quality endpoints, with the goal of informing the response of managers and other decision makers to this growing problem.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. J. Paul
- Tetra Tech Inc., Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - S. D. LeDuc
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - M. G. Lassiter
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - L. C. Moorhead
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - P. D. Noyes
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Washington, DC, USA
| | - S. G. Leibowitz
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Corvallis, OR, USA
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Gomez Isaza DF, Cramp RL, Franklin CE. Fire and rain: A systematic review of the impacts of wildfire and associated runoff on aquatic fauna. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:2578-2595. [PMID: 35038772 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Climate and land-use changes are expected to increase the future occurrence of wildfires, with potentially devastating consequences for freshwater species and ecosystems. Wildfires that burn in close proximity to freshwater systems can significantly alter the physicochemical properties of water. Following wildfires and heavy rain, freshwater species must contend with complex combinations of wildfire ash components (nutrients, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and metals), altered light and thermal regimes, and periods of low oxygen that together can lead to mass mortality events. However, the responses of aquatic fauna to wildfire disturbances are poorly understood. Here we provide a systematic review of available evidence on how aquatic animals respond to and recover from wildfire disturbance. Two databases (Web of Science and Scopus) were used to identify key literature. A total of 83 studies from across 11 countries were identified to have assessed the risk of wildfires on aquatic animals. We provide a summary of the main ecosystem-level changes associated with wildfires and the main responses of aquatic fauna to such disturbances. We pay special focus to physiological tools and biomarkers used to assess how wildfires impact aquatic animals. We conclude by providing an overview of how physiological biomarkers can further our understanding of wildfire-related impacts on aquatic fauna, and how different physiological tools can be incorporated into management and conservation plans and serve as early warning signs of wildfire disturbances.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rebecca L Cramp
- The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Craig E Franklin
- The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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Bishop K, Shanley JB, Riscassi A, de Wit HA, Eklöf K, Meng B, Mitchell C, Osterwalder S, Schuster PF, Webster J, Zhu W. Recent advances in understanding and measurement of mercury in the environment: Terrestrial Hg cycling. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 721:137647. [PMID: 32197286 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Revised: 02/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This review documents recent advances in terrestrial mercury cycling. Terrestrial mercury (Hg) research has matured in some areas, and is developing rapidly in others. We summarize the state of the science circa 2010 as a starting point, and then present the advances during the last decade in three areas: land use, sulfate deposition, and climate change. The advances are presented in the framework of three Hg "gateways" to the terrestrial environment: inputs from the atmosphere, uptake in food, and runoff with surface water. Among the most notable advances: These and other advances reported here are of value in evaluating the effectiveness of the Minamata Convention on reducing environmental Hg exposure to humans and wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Bishop
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7050, 75007 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | | | - Ami Riscassi
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, P.O. Box 400123, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4123, USA.
| | - Heleen A de Wit
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Gaustadalléen 21, NO-0349, Norway.
| | - Karin Eklöf
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7050, 75007 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Bo Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550002, China.
| | - Carl Mitchell
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario M1C 1A4, Canada.
| | - Stefan Osterwalder
- Institut des Géosciences de l'Environnement, Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IRD, Grenoble 18 INP, 38000 Grenoble, France.
| | - Paul F Schuster
- U.S. Geological Survey, 3215 Marine Street, Suite E-127, Boulder, CO 80303-1066, USA.
| | - Jackson Webster
- Department of Civil Engineering, California State University, 400 W. 1st Street, 21 95929-0930 Chico, CA, USA.
| | - Wei Zhu
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183 Umeå, Sweden.
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Kolka RK, Riggs CE, Nater EA, Wickman TR, Witt EL, Butcher JT. Temporal fluctuations in young-of-the-year yellow perch mercury bioaccumulation in lakes of northeastern Minnesota. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 656:475-481. [PMID: 30522030 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.11.280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2017] [Revised: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/18/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Identifying what determines fish mercury (Hg) bioaccumulation remains a key scientific challenge. While there has been substantial research on spatial variation in fish Hg bioaccumulation, the factors that influence temporal fluctuations in fish Hg have received less attention to date. In this study, we built upon a growing body of research investigating young-of-the-year (YOY) yellow perch Hg bioaccumulation and investigated annual fluctuations in YOY yellow perch Hg in six lakes in northeastern Minnesota over eight years. After accounting for spatial variation between the study lakes, we used model averaging to identify the lake physiochemical and climate factors that best explain temporal variation in fish biomass and fish Hg. Fish biomass of YOY yellow perch had a positive relationship with chlorophyll-α and total Kjeldahl nitrogen and a negative relationship with dissolved iron and dissolved oxygen. There was a positive relationship between annual variation in yellow perch Hg concentration and annual variation in lake total suspended solids, dissolved Fe and pH. Additionally, there was a negative relationship between fish Hg concentration and lake total Kjeldahl nitrogen and growing degree days. Together, our results suggest that annual variation in allochthonous inputs from the watershed, in-lake processes, and climate variables can explain temporal patterns in Hg bioaccumulation and growth biodilution is an important process controlling yellow perch Hg concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randall K Kolka
- USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, 1831 Highway 169 East, Grand Rapids, MN 55744, USA.
| | - Charlotte E Riggs
- University of Minnesota, Department of Soil, Water, and Climate, 1991 Upper Buford Circle, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA.
| | - Edward A Nater
- University of Minnesota, Department of Soil, Water, and Climate, 1991 Upper Buford Circle, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA.
| | - Trent R Wickman
- USDA Forest Service, Eastern Region, 8901 Grand Ave Place, Duluth, MN 55808, USA.
| | - Emma L Witt
- Stockton University, School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, 101 Vera King Farris Drive, Galloway, NJ 08205, USA.
| | - Jason T Butcher
- USDA Forest Service, Superior National Forest, 8901 Grand Ave Place, Duluth, MN 55808, USA.
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Ku P, Tsui MTK, Nie X, Chen H, Hoang TC, Blum JD, Dahlgren RA, Chow AT. Origin, Reactivity, and Bioavailability of Mercury in Wildfire Ash. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2018; 52:14149-14157. [PMID: 30516053 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b03729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Wildfires are expected to become more frequent and intensive at the global scale due to climate change. Many studies have focused on the loss of mercury (Hg) from burned forests; however, little is known about the origins, concentration, reactivity, and bioavailability of Hg in residual ash materials in postfire landscapes. We examine Hg levels and reactivity in black ash (BA, low burn intensity) and white ash (WA, high burn intensity) generated from two recent northern California wildfires and document that all ash samples contained measurable, but highly variable, Hg levels ranging from 4 to 125 ng/g dry wt. ( n = 28). Stable Hg isotopic compositions measured in select ash samples suggest that most Hg in wildfire ash is derived from vegetation. Ash samples had a highly variable fraction of Hg in recalcitrant forms (0-75%), and this recalcitrant Hg pool appears to be associated with the black carbon fraction in ash. Both BA and WA were found to strongly sequester aqueous inorganic Hg but not gaseous elemental Hg under controlled conditions. During anoxic ash incubation with natural surface water, we find that Hg in most ash samples had a minimal release and low methylation potential. Thus, the formation of wildfire ash can sequester Hg into relatively nonbioavailable forms, attenuating the potentially adverse effects of Hg erosion and transport to aquatic environments along with eroded wildfire ash.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peijia Ku
- Department of Biology , University of North Carolina at Greensboro , Greensboro , North Carolina 27402 , United States
| | - Martin Tsz-Ki Tsui
- Department of Biology , University of North Carolina at Greensboro , Greensboro , North Carolina 27402 , United States
| | - Xiangping Nie
- Department of Ecology , Jinan University , Guangzhou 510632 , China
| | - Huan Chen
- Biogeochemistry & Environmental Quality Research Group , Clemson University , Georgetown , South Carolina 29442 , United States
| | - Tham C Hoang
- Institute of Environmental Sustainability , Loyola University Chicago , Chicago , Illinois 60660 , United States
| | - Joel D Blum
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences , University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , Michigan 48109 , United States
| | - Randy A Dahlgren
- Department of Land, Air and Water Resources , University of California , Davis , California 95616 , United States
| | - Alex T Chow
- Biogeochemistry & Environmental Quality Research Group , Clemson University , Georgetown , South Carolina 29442 , United States
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