Unprecedented Study Reveals Wildfires in Canada Released Record Amounts of Arsenic in 2023
The wildfire season of 2023 in Canada has been deemed the most destructive ever recorded, with a new study shedding light on the unprecedented impact of these fires. Researchers from the University of Waterloo and Nipissing University have found that four wildfires in mine-impacted areas around Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, may have contributed up to half of the arsenic emitted by wildfires globally each year.
The study, which is the first of its kind to calculate the amount of arsenic stored in high-risk wildfire areas around Yellowknife, analyzed data from the past five decades. The team estimates that the 2023 wildfires released between 69 and 183 tonnes of arsenic, a potent toxin associated with various health risks including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and infant mortality.
Dr. Owen Sutton, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Waterloo, highlighted the long history of mining in Yellowknife and the accumulation of arsenic in the surrounding landscape. He emphasized that Canada has many industrially contaminated sites vulnerable to wildfires, posing a significant risk of releasing stored toxins back into the environment.
The researchers stressed the need for collaborative efforts among wildfire scientists, chemists, environmental scientists, and policy experts to address this emerging issue. Dr. Colin McCarter, a professor at Nipissing University, emphasized the importance of integrating diverse fire management techniques, including Indigenous fire stewardship, to mitigate risks to human and environmental health.
The study also found that arsenic emissions from wetlands were particularly concerning due to their ability to store contaminants. Moving forward, the researchers plan to quantify the amount of toxins stored in northern peatlands and study the potential release of other metals from these landscapes.
Dr. James Waddington from McMaster University also contributed to the research, which was published in Environmental Research Letters under the title “Globally-significant arsenic release by wildfires in a mining-impacted boreal landscape.” As climate change continues to worsen wildfire conditions, understanding and addressing the impact of wildfires on toxin release is crucial for protecting both human health and the environment.