Soil and biomass mercury emissions during a prescribed fire in the Amazonian rain forest

Author(s)

Melendez-Perez, Jose J. ^[1] ; Fostier, Anne H. ^[1] ; Carvalho, Jr., Joao A. ^[2] ; Windmoeller, Claudia C. ^[3] ; Santos, Jose C. ^[4] ; Carpi, Anthony ^[5]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Estadual Campinas, UNICAMP, Inst Chem, BR-13083970 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[2] Sao Paulo State Univ, UNESP, BR-12516410 Guaratingueta, SP - Brazil

^[3] Univ Fed Minas Gerais, Dept Chem, BR-31270901 Belo Horizonte, MG - Brazil

^[4] Natl Space Res Inst, INPE, BR-12630000 Cachoeira Paulista, SP - Brazil

^[5] CUNY John Jay Coll Criminal Justice, Dept Sci, New York, NY 10019 - USA

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Atmospheric Environment; v. 96, p. 415-422, OCT 2014.
• Web of Science Citations: 20

Abstract

Mercury stored in forests can be volatilized to the atmosphere during fires. Many factors influence this process such as mercury concentration, vegetation loading and the soil temperature reached during the fire. We quantified mercury emissions from biomass and soil during a prescribed fire in Brazil using the difference in mercury burden in vegetation and soil before and after burning, and data were critically compared with those previously obtained in a similar experiment in another part of the Amazonia. The calculated mercury emission factor was 4.1 +/- 1.4 g Hg ha(-1), with the main part (78%) originating from litterfall and O-horizon, and only 14% associated with live biomass. When considering the fuel burned loading, the emission factor ranged from 40 to 53 mu g Hg kg(-1). Data were also obtained on soil temperature profile and on Hg speciation in soil in an effort to relate these parameters to Hg emissions. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 10/19040-4 - Impact of deforestation on mercury emissions in tropical forest from the Amazonian region
• Grantee: Anne Helene Fostier
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 08/04490-4 - Combustion of tropical forest biomass
• Grantee: João Andrade de Carvalho Junior
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants