Environmental benefits of using magnesium carbonate minerals as new wildfire retardants instead of commercially available,phosphate-based compounds |
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Authors: | S Liodakis M Tsoukala |
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Institution: | (1) Laboratory of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens (N.T.U.A.), 9 Iroon Polytechniou Street, 157 80 Athens, Greece |
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Abstract: | A serial batch leaching experiment has been carried out to evaluate the release of elements from the ash of Pinus halepensis needles burned under two test conditions—with and without treatment of the forest species with the carbonate minerals (huntite
and hydromagnesite) in aqueous solution (pH 6). The ash (before and after leaching) and leachates were analyzed using atomic
absorption spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Compared with data from samples treated with the commercially available, phosphate-based
fire retardant diammonium phosphate (DAP), we found that use of huntite or hydromagnesite was much more successful in obstructing
the release of the toxic elements present in the ash, probably because of the alkaline conditions resulting from decomposition
of the minerals during burning. In contrast, DAP tended to be more able to facilitate the extraction of some toxic metals
(e.g., Zn, Cu, Mn), probably because of the acidic conditions resulting from its decomposition to phosphoric acid. Data from
this study thus lend strong support to the use of magnesium carbonate minerals as new wildfire retardants, because they were
shown to be more friendly to the environment (e.g., soil, ground, and underground water streams) than those currently in use
(e.g., phosphate or sulfate salt type). |
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