Wildfires: Water Quality Impact Lasts Up to Eight Years

An American study published in 'Nature Communications Earth & Environment' has revealed that pollutants from wildfires continue to affect water quality for a longer period than initially estimated.

Researchers, led by the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado Boulder, analyzed over 100,000 water samples from 500 watersheds in the western United States, separating the samples into burned and unburned areas.

The study measured the levels of organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sediments, and turbidity of the samples, creating models to assess changes in pollutants before and after the wildfires.

The results indicated that watersheds require more time to recover from wildfires. Organic carbon, phosphorus, and water turbidity significantly increase for one to five years after a fire, while nitrogen and sediments show an increase for up to eight years.

Ben Livneh, an associate professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, noted that the effects may be delayed and require major storms to mobilize the remaining pollutants.

Forest areas are more affected by wildfires, according to the research.