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Fire and heavy metals: when wild and controlled fires transform un-rehabilitated mining waste
Soil chemical properties before and after fire have been studied in a number of environments, but little research has conducted in areas with heavy metal concentrations, especially in mining-affected areas such as western Victoria. This research aimed to identify the importance of soil and water characterisation in association with controlled and wild bush fires in terms of arsenic and other heavy metals and consider the associated risks in terms of ecotoxicological effects, both locally and downstream.

Key Topics

Key Topics:

Project Status

Project Status: 
Completed

Driving Change Themes

Managing the Landscape

Student researcher

Joji Abraham
Dr Joji Abraham Research Leader

Soil chemical properties before and after fire have been studied in several environments, but far less work has been done about the heavy metal concentrations including its mobility especially in a mining affected landscapes, such as in Western Victoria, those have significantly elevated arsenic and other heavy metal concentrations including calcium, mercury, chromium, copper, and lead. This study analysed these concentrations and referenced previous geochemical unburned materials to identify the importance of soil and water characterisation in association with controlled and wild bush fires in terms of arsenic and other heavy metals and consider the associated risks in terms of ecotoxicological effects, both locally and downstream. This study was completed in 2017.

 

 

Year Type Citation
2018 Journal Article Abraham, J., Dowling, K. & Florentine, S. Assessment of potentially toxic metal contamination in the soils of a legacy mine site in Central Victoria, Australia. Chemosphere 192, (2018).
2018 Journal Article Abraham, J., Dowling, K. & Florentine, S. Influence of controlled burning on the mobility and temporal variations of potentially toxic metals (PTMs) in the soils of a legacy gold mine site in Central Victoria, Australia. Geoderma 331, (2018).
2018 Journal Article Abraham, J., Florentine, S. & Dowling, K. Effects of prescribed fire and post-fire rainfall on mercury mobilization and subsequent contamination assessment in a legacy mine site in Victoria, Australia. National Library of Medicine 9 (2018). doi:10.1016
2018 Journal Article Abraham, J., Dowling, K. & Florentine, S. Controlled burn and immediate mobilization of potentially toxic elements in soil, from a legacy mine site in Central Victoria, Australia. Science of The Total Environment 616-617, (2018).
2018 Thesis Abraham, J. Fire and heavy metals: when wild and controlled fires transform un-rehabilitated mining waste. (2018). at <https://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/vital:13081>
2017 Journal Article Abraham, J., Dowling, K. & Florentine, S. The Unquantified Risk of Post-Fire Metal Concentration in Soil: a Review. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution 228, (2017).
2017 Journal Article Abraham, J., Dowling, K. & Florentine, S. Risk of post-fire metal mobilization into surface water resources: A review. Science of the total Environment 599-600, (2017).