Marine disasters can manifest in a variety of forms. Not surprisingly, in many instances a calamity for the sea is triggered by an occurrence on the shore (Think Fukushima). Oil spills, hazardous waste disposals, increasing acidity and agricultural organic chemical runoff all come to mind as clear and present dangers. Now we can add fallout from lithium-ion battery fires to our list. The battery storage plant caught fire on Jan. 16 for “an unknown reason,” and firefighters essentially had to let it burn itself out. Apparently, hosing down lithium-ion fires is only marginally effective to “contain” a lithium fire, and the batteries can re-ignite after being extinguished with water. The fallout came from four days of smoke.

Results of immediate testing in Elkhorn Slough by scientists from the Moss Landing Marine Lab indicate an alarming increase in trace elements found in the marsh sediment at the slough. Kudos go to Ivano Aiello, department chair and professor of geological oceanography at MLML and San Jose State University and his staff at the lab. SJSU NewsCenter reported, “The field surveys, conducted within a radius of approximately two miles from the power plant, measured a dramatic increase in marsh soil surface concentration (hundreds- to thousand-fold) of the three heavy metals nickel, manganese and cobalt (NMC). This dramatic increase relates to both the shallow subsurface and the baseline measurements conducted in the area before the fire. Samples of the heavy-metal layer were examined at high magnification and reveal that these metals are contained in nanoparticles that range in diameter between about 1 and 20 microns.” The heavy metals were, essentially, fallout from the thick plume of polluted smoke generated by the lithium-ion fire.

Trace elements are essential nutrients for plant growth as well as human and animal health. They occur naturally in soils. At elevated levels, however, all trace elements become potentially toxic. Anthropogenic input of excess trace elements into the natural environment has the potential to create a range of ecological and health problems. Nickel is a known carcinogen. It can accumulate in the body and cause toxic levels. Toxic means you can die. Manganese happens to be a neurotoxicant that can cause a disorder called manganism, an illness resembling Parkinson’s disease. Cobalt may the worst of the three trace elements in question, It can be responsible for cardiomyopathy, lung disease, hearing damage and respiratory toxicity.

Cobalt has also been shown to produce tumors in animals and is “probably” carcinogenic to humans. It can lead to asthma, decreased lung function, heart enlargement or liver and kidney congestion.

The slough is already overloaded with high levels of organic matter, nutrients and pesticides, all organic compounds. Nitrates exceed safe thresholds by two orders of magnitude. Phosphate concentrations have also exceeded safe thresholds. And, ammonia concentrations have been noted as a factor in impaired water quality at the slough.

Those existing excess organics actually might work in our favor. An elevated content of organic substances can result in both an increase and a decrease of distinct metal compounds in the sediments. In other words, some major and trace elements will bond to underwater sediments at an increased rate when combined with organic materials in the water, while some (including the worrisome NMC trio detected at Moss Landing) actually will dilute more quickly when the water is high in organic substances. That factor combined with the metronomic tidal flushing of the slough with fresh salt water from the open ocean and immediate proximity of deep submarine canyons might give us an edge in recovery from this tragic pollution event.

Allen Bushnell also operates Santa Cruz Surf and Kayak Fishing Guide Service. Please send any reports, pictures or questions to scruzfishing@yahoo.com