Groundwater and Soil Pollution Caused by Forest Fires, and Its Effects on the Distribution and Transport of Radionuclides in Subsurface Environments: Review

Abstract

Forest fires can generate numerous pollutants through the combustion of vegetation and cause serious environmental problems. The global warming and climate change will increase the frequency and scale of forest fires across the world. In Korea, many nuclear power plants (NPPs) are located in the East Coast where large-scale forest fires frequently occur. Therefore, understanding the sorption and transport characteristics of radionuclides in the forest fire areas is required against the severe accidents in NPPs. This article reviewed the physiochemical changes and contamination of groundwater and soil environments after forest fires, and discussed sorption and transport of radionuclides in the subsurface environment of burned forest area. We considered the geochemical factors of subsurface environment changed by forest fire. Moreover, we highlighted the need for studies on changes and contamination of subsurface environments caused by forest fires to understand more specific mechanisms.