Forest fires as drivers of contamination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems

Abstract

Forest fires are a well-known source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), playing an important role on their formation and redistribution across the terrestrial and aquatic compartments. Fire-induced inputs of PAHs to the environment are of major concern due to their toxicity, high persistence, and tendency to bioaccumulate. This article presents a synthesis of the most important work on the role of wildfires and time since fire in the production and mobilization of PAHs on soil and water. Furthermore, it also assesses their toxic effects on aquatic species. The postfire PAH fluxes vary depending on a variety of factors, such as vegetation composition and plant's part burnt, fire severity, and postfire hydrological conditions. In general, off-site effects are particularly notorious during the initial postfire period, although not necessarily limited to it. This review highlights the role of forest fires in the production and mobilization of PAHs, acting thus as a diffuse source of PAH contamination to the terrestrial and aquatic systems, thus warning to the need to be considered in future monitoring/management programs on the environmental impacts of wildfires.