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High levels of hazardous heavy metals found in products used to fight wildfires
By Douglas Main
A new study shows that sprays and retardants used to fight wildfires contain surprisingly high levels of toxic heavy metals, a “disturbing” finding at a time when wildfires are generally getting worse.
The paper, published October 30 in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters, found that each of 14 fire suppression products examined contained at least eight of the ten heavy metals tested for, including chromium, cadmium, lead, and arsenic. Most of these metals or their derivatives are highly toxic, and known to cause a long list of diseases, including cancer.
All have been approved for use by the US Forest Service, which did not respond to a request for comment.
The findings raise questions about the ecological and human health impact of spraying large quantities of these materials over huge tracts of land in the western United States, according to study lead author Daniel McCurry, an environmental chemist at the University of Southern California.
McCurry and colleagues became interested in investigating these products’ chemistry as wildfire severity has increased in recent years and news reports showed these being used widely throughout California and other western states.
Wildfires have generally become more intense and widespread in recent years and decades, an expected outcome of human-caused climate change and land management practices. A total of just under 8 million acres have burned so far this year in the United States, a 24% increase over the 10 year average. Research suggests wildfires will get more severe and burn more acres in coming decades.
