The significance of pyrogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Borneo peat core for the reconstruction of fire history.

Authors :: Kong SR
Yamamoto M
Shaari H
Hayashi R
Seki O
Mohd Tahir N
Fadzil MF
Sulaiman A
Source :: PloS one [PLoS One] 2021 Sep 08; Vol. 16 (9), pp. e0256853. Date of Electronic Publication: 2021 Sep 08 (Print Publication: 2021).
Publication Year :: 2021
Abstract: The reconstruction of fire history is essential to understand the palaeoclimate and human history. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been extensively used as a fire marker. In this work, the distribution of PAHs in Borneo peat archives was investigated to understand how PAHs reflect the palaeo-fire activity. In total, 52 peat samples were analysed from a Borneo peat core for the PAH analysis. Pyrogenic PAHs consist of 2-7 aromatic rings, some of which have methyl and ethyl groups. The results reveal that the concentration of pyrogenic PAHs fluctuated with the core depth. Compared to low-molecular-weight (LMW) PAHs, the high-molecular-weight (HMW) PAHs had a more similar depth variation to the charcoal abundance. This finding also suggests that the HMW PAHs were mainly formed at a local fire near the study area, while the LMW PAHs could be transported from remote locations.<br />Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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