Fine particle pollution during megafires contains potentially toxic elements

Gill, Raissa L.; Fleck, Robert; Chau, Ky; Westerhausen, Mika T.; Lockwood, Thomas E.; Violi, Jake P.; Irga, Peter J.; Doblin, Martina A.; Torpy, Fraser R.

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123306

Cited by 1 publication

(2 citation statements)

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“…In this study, locally emitted PM coarse metals may hinder our ability to measure the increases in fine metals in wildfire smoke. In addition, an enhancement of trace metal solubility has been reported for wildfire smoke PM. , In this study, water-soluble metals were not characterized, although the soluble fraction may play a greater role in causing health effects.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 86%

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Impacts of the 2021 Northwestern Ontario and Manitoba Wildfires on the Chemical Composition and Oxidative Potential of Airborne Particulate Matter in Montréal, Canada

Trieu,

Downey,

Fakhri

et al. 2024

ACS Earth Space Chem.

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In July and August 2021, wildfire smoke transported from Northwestern Ontario and Manitoba impacted the air quality in Montréal, Québec, Canada. To investigate the impact of the wildfire smoke on PM10 composition in an urban environment, samples were collected and analyzed for organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), elements, water-soluble ions, sugars, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during contrasting periods of biomass burning and nonbiomass burning-influenced conditions. Biomass burning tracers in PM10 (e.g., levoglucosan, mannosan, galactosan, rubidium, and water-soluble potassium) and other compounds associated with biomass burning emissions (e.g., OC, EC, oxalate, succinate, and NH4 +) increased by a factor of 2.0–5.0 during biomass burning periods. The influence of wildfires had little impact on trace elements (e.g., Ba, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, and V) concentrations which did not increase significantly compared to the urban background. Major PM10 constituents were carbonaceous matter, followed by crustal matter and secondary inorganic ions during both biomass and nonbiomass burning days. The contribution of carbonaceous matter increased significantly during biomass burning events representing up to 71% of the total PM10 mass concentration. The ascorbic acid assay found no notable difference in intrinsic oxidative potential between biomass burning and nonbiomass burning days despite decreasing proportions of redox-active metals in PM10 during episodes of biomass burning smoke. This observation indicates that other components of biomass burning PM10 such as organic matter and sulfate may directly or indirectly contribute to the oxidative potential in a way that compensates for the decreasing proportion of redox-active metals that normally dominate the oxidative potential measured by the ascorbic acid assay.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 86%

“…In addition, an enhancement of trace metal solubility has been reported for wildfire smoke PM. 104,105 In this study, water-soluble metals were not characterized, although the soluble fraction may play a greater role in causing health effects.…”

Section: Major and Tracementioning

confidence: 98%