Journalartikel

Jahr der Veröffentlichung: 2023

Zeitschrift: Science of the Total Environment

Bandnummer: 871

ISSN: 0048-9697

eISSN: 1879-1026

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161979

Verlag: Elsevier

Abstract: 
Climate change may increase the overall susceptibility of peatlands to fire. Smoldering fires in peatlands can cause sub-stantial emissions of greenhouse gases. It is, however, less clear how smoldering affects the soil pore water quality. In this study, soil samples were collected from agricultural fen and disturbed bog study sites in Germany and Lithuania to quantify the effect of peat burning on pore water composition. The samples were air dried and smoldered under igni-tion temperature (approximately 200 degrees C) with different durations (0, 2, 5, and 10 h). Pore water samples were ex-tracted from the soil to determine dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations, dissolved organic matter (DOM) fractions, fluoride, extractable organically bound fluorine (EOF), and sulfate concentrations. The results showed that soil smoldering changes the peat pore water chemistry and that changes differ between fens and bogs. The smoldering duration is likewise influential. For fen grasslands, 2 and 5 h of smoldering of peat caused a >10-fold increase in DOC (up to 1600 mg L-1) and EOF concentrations. The fluoride (up to 60 mg L-1) and sulfate concentrations substantially exceeded WHO drinking water guidelines. In contrast, the temperature treatment decreased the DOC concentrations of samples from raised bogs by 90 %. The fluoride concentrations decreased, but sulfate concentrations increased after smoldering of the bog samples. DOC, fluoride, and sulfate concentrations of bogs varied significantly between the smoldering duration treatments. For all peat samples, the extracted DOM was dominated by humic-like substances be-fore smoldering, but the fraction of low molecular weight substances increased after smoldering combustion. In con-clusion, smoldering alters the biogeochemical processes in both peatland types and possibly impair the water quality of adjacent water resources especially in fen peat landscapes.

Harvard-Zitierstil: Liu, H., Zak, D., Zableckis, N., Cossmer, A., Langhammer, N., Meermanne, B., et al. (2023) Water pollution risks by smoldering fires in degraded peatlands, Science of the Total Environment, 871, Article 161979. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161979

APA-Zitierstil: Liu, H., Zak, D., Zableckis, N., Cossmer, A., Langhammer, N., Meermanne, B., & Lennartz, B. (2023). Water pollution risks by smoldering fires in degraded peatlands. Science of the Total Environment. 871, Article 161979. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161979