Wildfires may be poisoning drinking water long after the flames are out

Wildfires may be poisoning drinking water long after the flames are out

Wildfires do not stop threatening communities when the flames die down. As detailed by The Conversation, new research suggests that some of the most serious damage may arrive later, when rain washes ash, debris, and chemicals into the waterways people rely on for drinking water. A review of 23 studies covering 28 watersheds found that wildfire damage can trigger major water-quality problems long after a fire has burned through an area. Once tree…

Water pollution lasts for years after a wildfire burns, new research shows

Contaminants from wildfires can create long term water quality concerns in areas far from the fire-impacted zones as drifting smoke plumes and rainfall runoff challenge standard water filtration techniques. A recently published analysis of 23 studies across 28 watersheds determined that the concentrations of numerous pollutants in waterways experienced significant increases for five years after a wildfire burns. Researchers found that the presen…