Biomass: WOOD, LEAVES, GRASS, FORESTS, CROPS and TRASH, Luke Curtis, MS, CIH- from Human Ecologist- Fall Issue 2002

Aquatic ecological risks due to cyanide releases from biomass burning.

BIOMASS BURNING AND CYANIDE PRODUCTION

Burning of biomass such as wood, grass and leaves can release dangerous amounts of cyanide which can poison water supplies. A study of wildfire in North Carolina found that nearby streams where contaminated with 49 parts per billion of cyanide, a level high enough to kill rainbow trout. Forest and brush fires may play a major role in fish kills.
- Timothy Barber et al. Aquatic ecological risks due to cyanide releases from biomass burning. Chemosphere 2003;50:343-348.