PAHs & VOCs

Fires, whether wildfires or structural, produce various harmful pollutants, notably polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These substances pose significant health risks and environmental challenges. The information below is to help understand what PAHs and VOCs are, their formation during fires, their impact on health and the environment, and their persistence in the environment.

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• PAHs (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons):

  • Definition: Organic compounds composed of multiple aromatic rings, formed during the incomplete combustion of organic materials.

  • Health Risks: Carcinogenic, causing respiratory problems, skin irritation, immune system suppression, and long-term effects like lung, bladder, and skin cancers.

• VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds):

  • Definition: Organic chemicals that evaporate easily at room temperature, including benzene, formaldehyde, and toluene.

  • Health Risks: Immediate symptoms like headaches, dizziness, respiratory irritation, eye, nose, and throat irritation, and long-term effects like liver, kidney, and central nervous system damage.

• Formation During Fires:

  • Incomplete Combustion: Produces PAHs and VOCs, common in wildfires and structural fires.

  • Material Composition: Different materials release different PAHs and VOCs. For example, wood and vegetation produce PAHs, while building materials and household products release a broader spectrum of VOCs.

  • Acidic Soot: Causes building materials to off-gas additional chemicals, increasing hazards.

• Interaction with People and Environment:

  • Human Exposure: Through inhalation, dermal contact, and ingestion.

  • Environmental Persistence: PAHs bind tightly to soil and sediments, while VOCs can degrade quickly or persist in indoor environments, contributing to secondary pollutants like ozone.​

• Longevity in the Environment Post-Fire:

  • PAHs: Persist in soil and sediments, bioaccumulate in tissues of living organisms, posing risks through the food chain.

  • VOCs: Degrade quickly in the atmosphere or persist in indoor environments, influenced by environmental factors

• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):

  • Respiratory Protection: N95 masks, respirators with organic vapor cartridges, and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).

  • Skin Protection: Gloves, coveralls, and other protective clothing.

  • Eye Protection: Safety goggles or face shields.​

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From scientific literature review, we found several promising articles and studies discussing the role soils and the living microbial communities play in combatting the build up and concentration of VOCs.

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“The bioconversion of VOC pollutants to metabolic end- and intermediate products (VOCs), biomass, or carbon dioxide and water remains the second step. Malhautier et al. (2005) define working biofilters as a complex and structured ecosystem. Considering this, soils are perfect natural biofilters as they provide a multitude of species and microbial consortia (capable of different organic compound-degrading pathways), environmental conditions (from anaerobic to aerobic), and a variety of different VOC adsorbents (water, humic acids, clay minerals).”

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"Due to their ubiquitous detectability and their information content, VOCs have been extensively studied aiming at different organisms, functions, and interactions since the last 90 (!) years (e.g., Brown 1922 cited in Linton and Wright 1993). The scope of this review is to summarize the state of the art and latest advances in soil microbial VOC research, in particular since the excellent review by Stotzky and Schenck (1976).  

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“Microorganisms in the soil of potted plants are important for removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from indoor air.” The study showed that “The change in bacterial community structure was, however, different between the two experiments indicating that several taxonomic units can degrade gasoline components."

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SOURCES

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https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00374-010-0442-3?form=MG0AV3#Sec13 Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in soils | Biology and Fertility of Soils

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00374-010-0442-3?form=MG0AV3#Sec13 Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in soils | Biology and Fertility of Soils

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-023-26137-8?form=MG0AV3 Removal of a complex VOC mixture by potted plants—effects on soil microorganisms | Environmental Science and Pollution Research

https://www.osha.gov/asbestos/?form=MG0AV3&form=MG0AV3

https://www.epa.gov/asbestos/protecting-workers-asbestos?form=MG0AV3&form=MG0AV3

https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.1001?form=MG0AV3&form=MG0AV3

https://www.harvestogroup.com/post/soil-testing-importance-and-benefits?form=MG0AV3&form=MG0AV3

https://theprofarmer.com/blog/the-importance-of-soil-testing-types-of-tests-and-interpretation-of-results/?form=MG0AV3&form=MG0AV3

  https://biorestore.org/asbestos-encapsulation-an-alternative-to-removal/?form=MG0AV3&form=MG0AV3

https://www.arca.org.uk/media/cidckhan/arca-gn010-v0715-encapsulation-of-asbestos-containing-materials.pdf?form=MG0AV3&form=MG0AV3

https://halpernlawyer.com/blog/can-plants-detoxify-asbestos/?form=MG0AV3&form=MG0AV3  Can Plants Detoxify Asbestos? – The Halpern Law Firm : Challenging Global Waste Management – Bioremediation to Detoxify Asbestos

https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/17/7/1644 Plants, Microorganisms and Their Metabolites in Supporting Asbestos Detoxification—A Biological Perspective in Asbestos Treatment

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/environmental-science/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2020.00020/full?form=MG0AV3&form=MG0AV3

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12230-016-9554-0?form=MG0AV3&form=MG0AV3

https://www.entomoljournal.com/archives/2018/vol6issue6/PartD/6-5-178-205.pdf?form=MG0AV3&form=MG0AV3

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/environmental-science/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2020.00020/full?form=MG0AV3

https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/17/7/1644 Plants, Microorganisms and Their Metabolites in Supporting Asbestos Detoxification—A Biological Perspective in Asbestos Treatment

https://www.usbr.gov/lc/phoenix/reports/reach11eis/APPEND3.PDF?form=MG0AV3&form=MG0AV3

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-023-26494-4?form=MG0AV3&form=MG0AV3

https://www.osha.gov/asbestos/?form=MG0AV3&form=MG0AV3

https://www.epa.gov/asbestos/protecting-workers-asbestos?form=MG0AV3&form=MG0AV3

https://biorestore.org/asbestos-encapsulation-an-alternative-to-removal/?form=MG0AV3&form=MG0AV3

https://www.arca.org.uk/media/cidckhan/arca-gn010-v0715-encapsulation-of-asbestos-containing-materials.pdf?form=MG0AV3&form=MG0AV3

https://www.med.upenn.edu/asbestos/project1.html?form=MG0AV3&form=MG0AV3

https://www.cnr.it/en/focus/064-2/fungi-as-potential-agents-of-bioremediation-of-asbestos-contaminated-soil?form=MG0AV3&form=MG0AV3 Fungi as potential agents of bioremediation of asbestos-contaminated soil

https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/17/7/1644?form=MG0AV3&form=MG0AV3 Plants, Microorganisms and Their Metabolites in Supporting Asbestos Detoxification—A Biological Perspective in Asbestos Treatment

 https://www.cnr.it/en/focus/064-2/fungi-as-potential-agents-of-bioremediation-of-asbestos-contaminated-soil?form=MG0AV3&form=MG0AV3 Fungi as potential agents of bioremediation of asbestos-contaminated soil

 

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