Fire and Pesticides: Air Quality Considerations
نویسندگان
چکیده
The classes of primary chemical products naturally produced by the combustion of forest fuels include: carbon dioxide, water, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, methane and nonmethane hydrocarbons, polynuclear aromatic hyrocarbons, nitrogen and sulfur oxides, aldehydes, free radicals, and inorganic elements. Pesticides are a class of secondary chemical byproducts of fires that have been of some public concern with the extensive use of herbicides for site preparation and release in some forest ecosystems and insecticides for insect control in others. Studies conducted on herbicides and insecticides indicate that hot fires (>500C) thermally degrade most pesticides. Smoldering fires (<500C) have the potential to volatilize significant amounts of some pesticides. Exposure analyses indicate that, even under conditions of smoldering fires, no significant human health risks occur from pesticides incorporated into or on forest fuels. Naturally occurring chemical by-products of combustion are a far greater risk to human
منابع مشابه
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