Forest fires release chemicals from the soil that can cause cancer – scientists
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The heat from wildfires can turn metals that are naturally present in the soil into particles that can cause dangerous diseases, including cancer.
A new study says that the heat from wildfires can turn chromium (III) oxide from a benign form into a carcinogen called chromium 6 oxide. The latter can cause cancer, organ damage and other health problems, CNN writes.
Chromium is common in soils in the western United States, Australia, Brazil, Europe, Indonesia, and South Africa.
Following the publication of a previous study conducted in Australia which showed that the intense heat of wildfires can cause such metal transformations, the scientists decided to collect samples from chromium-rich soils in four ecological reserves that were burned by bushfires in 2019 and 2020 in the North Coast Range. California.
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Scientists tested the soil in areas destroyed by the fire and in those that were not affected, collecting the smallest particles that could possibly have become airborne.
In areas rich in chromium, where vegetation allowed fires to spread extensively, the researchers found that levels of toxic chromium oxide were about seven times higher than in an area that had not been affected by the fire.
Even after the fire is completely contained, local communities may still be vulnerable because of strong winds that can blow away small particles of soil containing toxic chromium, the scientists added.
But some of the health risk is reduced after rain washes away the metals, scientists say. However, rain can sometimes wait weeks or months after a fire, especially as climate change increases the likelihood and frequency of drought, said study co-author and professor Scott Fendorf.
At the time the soil samples were taken, California was experiencing a historic multi-year drought. Even a year after the fires, researchers found that toxic chromium is stored in the soil and continues to pose a health hazard to residents of nearby communities.
The study adds to a growing body of evidence of the dangerous effects of wildfire smoke, which also carries fine particulate matter, or PM 2.5, a toxic chemical compound. When inhaled, it can penetrate deep into the lung tissue and even enter the bloodstream. PM 2.5 has been linked to a number of health problems, including asthma, heart disease, chronic bronchitis and other respiratory diseases, scientists say.
Scientists also suggest that other metals, such as nanoparticles of manganese, nickel and iron, may pose similar threats to human health, but more research is needed to say this for sure.
A recent UN report predicts that the number of extreme forest fires will increase by 2050% by 2030, even with the most ambitious efforts to reduce the rate of environmental pollution.
“This is an alarming signal because more frequent fires mean we will be exposed to even more toxic substances“, Fendorf stressed.
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