Citation

Alexakis DE. Environ. Res. 2020; 183: e109153.

Affiliation

Laboratory of Geoenvironmental Science and Environmental Quality Assurance, Department of Civil Engineering, University of West Attica, 250 Thivon & P.Ralli Str., 12244, Athens, Greece. Electronic address: d.alexakis@uniwa.gr.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.envres.2020.109153

PMID

32078824

Abstract

The results of the assessment of burned residential and wildland areas associated with the July 2018 western Attica wildfire are summarised. The dispersion of major and trace elements in a fire impacted suburban landscape which is adjacent in the north with a Natura 2000 area is evaluated. The dataset includes 35 elements and 27 sampling sites spatially distributed in wildland and residential areas. Field observations and a macroscopic method were applied for investigating the wildfire severity. Statistical and spatial analysis tools were used for data treatment. Major and trace element contents were compared to levels and criteria provided by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment and Australian Department of Environment and Conservation. Aluminum, As, Co, Fe, Mn, Ni, Sb and Zn concentrations observed in wildfire ash pose potential risk to human health. Median ash concentrations for Al, As, B, Ba, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, S, Sb, and Zn exceeds the plant-avian-mammalian screening levels in wildland and residential areas. Geogenic or anthropogenic origin of the elements is discussed. The associated health risk on human health and terrestrial ecological receptors (plant, avian, mammalian) is assessed.

Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Ash; Kineta; Terrestrial receptors; Toxic elements; West Attica; Wildfire impacts