Burn Intensity Drives the Alteration of Phenolic Lignin to (Poly) Aromatic Hydrocarbons as Revealed by Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC/MS)

Chen, Huan1; Wang, Jun-Jian2,3; Ku, Pei-Jia4; Tsui, Martin Tsz-Ki5; Abney, Rebecca B.6; Berhe, Asmeret Asefaw7; Zhang, Qiang2,3; Burton, Sarah D.8; Dahlgren, Randy A.9; Chow, Alex T.1

2022-08-01

10.1021/acs.est.2c00426

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY   Impact Factor & Quartile

0013-936X

1520-5851

High-intensity wildfires alter the chemical composition of organic matter, which is expected to be distinctly different from low-intensity prescribed fires. Herein, we used pyrolysis gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/ MS), in conjunction with solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, to assess chemical alterations from three wildfires and a long-term frequent prescribed fire site. Our results showed that black ash formed under moderate intensity burns contained less aromatic (ArH), polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), and nitrogen-containing compounds (Ntg) but more lignin (LgC) and phenol compounds (PhC), compared to white ash formed under high intensity burns. Both 13C NMR and FTIR confirmed a higher relative percentage of carboxyl carbon in white ash, indicating the potential for higher water solubility and more mobile carbon, relative to black ash. Compared to wildfires, ash from low-intensity prescribed fire contained less ArH, PAH, and Ntg and more LgC and PhC. Controlled laboratory burning trials indicated that organic matter alteration was sensitive to the burn temperature, but not related to the fuel type (pine vs fir) nor oxygen absence/presence at high burn temperatures. This study concludes that higher burn temperatures resulted in higher (poly)aromatic carbon/nitrogen and lower lignin/phenol compounds.

wildfire prescribed fire forest fuel reduction black carbon/nitrogen alkyl side chain

SCI ; EI

English

NI Journal Papers

Others

USEPA[R835864] ; USDA NIFA[2018-67019-27795] ; NSF[1917156] ; National Natural Science Foundation of China[42192513]

Engineering ; Environmental Sciences & Ecology

Engineering, Environmental ; Environmental Sciences

WOS:000843365800001

AMER CHEMICAL SOC

20223412622457

Aromatization ; Biogeochemistry ; Carbon ; Fires ; Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy ; Gas chromatography ; Mass spectrometry ; Nuclear magnetic resonance ; Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy ; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons ; Pyrolysis

Geochemistry:481.2 ; Chemistry:801 ; Biochemistry:801.2 ; Chemical Reactions:802.2 ; Chemical Operations:802.3 ; Chemical Products Generally:804 ; Organic Compounds:804.1 ; Cellulose, Lignin and Derivatives:811.3 ; Fires and Fire Protection:914.2

ENVIRONMENT/ECOLOGY

Web of Science

1.Clemson Univ, Biogeochem & Environm Qual Res Grp, Georgetown, SC 29442 USA
2.Southern Univ Sci & Technol, Sch Environm Sci & Engn, Guangdong Prov Key Lab Soil & Groundwater Pollut C, Shenzhen 518055, Peoples R China
3.Southern Univ Sci & Technol, Sch Environm Sci & Engn, State Environm Protect Key Lab Integrated Surface, Shenzhen 518055, Peoples R China
4.Oak Ridge Natl Lab, Environm Sci Div, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
5.Chinese Univ Hong Kong, Sch Life Sci, State Key Lab Agrobiotechnol, Hong Kong, Peoples R China
6.Univ Georgia, DB Warnell Sch Forestry & Nat Resources, Athens, GA 30602 USA
7.Univ Calif Merced, Dept Life & Environm Sci, Merced, CA 95343 USA
8.Pacific Northwest Natl Lab, Environm Mol Sci Lab, Richland, WA 99354 USA
9.Univ Calif Davis, Dept Land Air & Water Resources, Davis, CA 95616 USA

Chen, Huan,Wang, Jun-Jian,Ku, Pei-Jia,et al. Burn Intensity Drives the Alteration of Phenolic Lignin to (Poly) Aromatic Hydrocarbons as Revealed by Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC/MS)[J]. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY,2022.

Chen, Huan.,Wang, Jun-Jian.,Ku, Pei-Jia.,Tsui, Martin Tsz-Ki.,Abney, Rebecca B..,...&Chow, Alex T..(2022).Burn Intensity Drives the Alteration of Phenolic Lignin to (Poly) Aromatic Hydrocarbons as Revealed by Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC/MS).ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY.

Chen, Huan,et al."Burn Intensity Drives the Alteration of Phenolic Lignin to (Poly) Aromatic Hydrocarbons as Revealed by Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC/MS)".ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY (2022).