Fire-Induced Changes in Soil and Implications on Soil Sorption Capacity and Remediation Methods

Abstract

Vegetation changes caused by fire events are visible instantly but changes in soils are less apparent, and could be short-term, long-term or permanent in nature. Research has shown that soils undergo changes in their mineralogical, geochemical, physico-chemical and biological properties after a fire event that may vary depending on the intensity and duration of the fire, and the properties of the soil. Some of these properties make significant contributions towards soil’s ability to sorb contaminants. Changes in these properties could affect soil sorption complex and the effectiveness of remediation methods used to clean these soils when contaminated. This review synthesizes available information on fire-induced changes in soil properties affecting soil sorption and the factors which dictate these changes. The implications of changes in these properties on the soil’s natural attenuation capacity and choice of remediation method to clean up fire-affected contaminated soils are also discussed.

Peat Soil Burning in the Mezzano Lowland (Po Plain, Italy): Triggering Mechanisms and Environmental Consequences

“…The F profile horizons are also characterized by lower EC values compared with those of the NF profiles in the aforementioned depth intervals, likely due to the destruction of clay minerals and the formation of oxides at temperatures exceeding 500°C (Terefe et al., 2008 ). Low BD values (0.60–0.51 g cm −3 ) noted in some horizons of the TOR1, TOR2, and TOR3 profiles can be ascribed to “unpacking” of particles (Ngole‐Jeme, 2019 ) resulting from the loss of structure due to degradation of mineral and organic components.…”

“…(Di Giuseppe et al, 2014a, 2014b. This area is renowned for peat burning since historical times (Cremonini et al, 2008;Martinelli et al, 2015), and is characterized by peat deposits exposed to the Mediterranean climate with frequent and persistent droughts (Marchina et al, 2017;2019). To assess the effects of burning, we applied an analytical technique based on the distinctive thermal stability of the various carbon bearing-phases (Mörchen et al, 2019;Natali et al, 2020;Zethof et al, 2019Zethof et al, , 2020 as well as isotope ratio mass spectrometry (Natali et al, 2018b).…”

Evaluation of plasma cleaning as an approach for the preparation of soil minerals for forensic comparison by photon and electron microscopy

“…High heat can also alter soil minerals through thermally induced phase change or forcible removal of chemically combined water from hydrate crystals. Heat effects in minerals range from decomposition of kaolinite, to the formation of hematite from goethite, to morphing gibbsite to an amorphous phase, to the collapse of sheet silicates [6,17,18].…”

Application of Brown Coal and Activated Carbon for the Immobilization of Metal Forms in Soil, along with Their Verification Using Generalized Linear Models (GLMs)

“…Soil fulfills many different functions, such as filtering, buffering and protecting ecosystems from an excessive flow of metals to other biosphere elements. Metals can cause harmful conditions to all living organisms in the soil, including microflora and microfauna, as well as to organisms directly or indirectly related to soil, such as plants, animals and humans [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]. Major hazards can arise from a variety of sources, for example, industrially degraded sites that are contaminated by metals, which are often left without any remedial action.…”