Aerobic and anaerobic burning alter trace metal availability in peat soils: evidence from laboratory experiments

As global warming becomes more pronounced, climate change and human activities are leading to frequent peat fire incidents. Fire plays an important role in the environmental distribution of trace metals in peat soils. In the current study, we collected peat soils from six peatlands of the Great Khingan Mountains in Northeast China, where wildfires have often occurred in recent decades. To investigate the transformation of trace metals in peat soils by fire, burning experiments at 250 degrees C (light) or 600 degrees C (severe) and under aerobic (AE, flaming) and anaerobic (AN, smouldering) conditions (AE250, AE600, AN250, AN600) were carried out in the laboratory to investigate the effect of different burning intensities on the distribution of Cu, As, Pb, and Cd in peat soils. The European Community Bureau of Reference (BCR) sequential extraction method for metal fractions was applied for partitioning four fractions (exchangeable, reducible, oxidizable, and residual). The results showed that AE600 significantly decreased the percentages of oxidizable Cu, As, Cd and Pb (Cuoxi, Asoxi Cdoxi and Pboxi) compared with those of the original samples, e.g., Cuoxi decreased from 68.84% +/- 12.76% to 15.82% +/- 8.02% in peat under moss, which might result from organic matter decrease. Under AN250 conditions, the exchangeable As (Asexc) and Pb (Pbexc) significantly increased by more than twice. Different burning intensities significantly changed the various fractions of Cu, e.g., more than 20% Cuoxi transferred to exchangeable and reducible fractions as the temperature increased. Most of the available fractions of As transformed to residual As after burning. Our study suggests that the AE600 treatment increased the ecotoxicity and bioavailability of Cu, Pb and Cd in peat soils, while AN250 burning decreased the potential ecotoxicity of Cu, As, and Pb. Compared with lower temperature flaming burning (AE250), the ecotoxicity and bioavailability of Cu and Pb were greater in high temperature (AE600) conditions. Smouldering fires at both temperatures (AN250 and AN600) maintained a high potential ecotoxicity and bioavailability of Cu and Pb in peat soils.