UC Santa Cruz

On January 16, 2025, a major fire occurred at the Moss Landing Power Plant Facility located adjacent to the Elkhorn Slough, one of the largest remaining coastal wetlands in California. The fire burned 3 days becoming the largest battery-facility fire in the world to date. Lithium-ion battery fires potentially pose a risk to human and ecological health, as they can release trace metals, specifically: nickel, manganese, and cobalt that can be dangerous when surpassing safety exposure limits (Pennington, 2025). As societies shift towards alternative energy formats, there is a greater demand for battery energy storage infrastructure; however, these infrastructures carry risks. This study aimed to extend initial post-fire assessments by examining long-term effects of trace metal release and metal transport pathways. Sediment samples and random quadrat vegetation surveys were collected from 2 marsh sites, in the Elkhorn Slough. Samples were analyzed utilizing field portable X-ray fluorescence (FpXRF) and ICP-OES to quantify the concentrations of Ni, Mn, and Co in sediment cores collected from vegetated regions and unvegetated regions for both study sites. Trace metal concentrations were consistent with those of NMC 523 batteries, which were variable throughout study, while the overall concentration of Mn, Ni, and Co generally decreased in surface sediments over time. This study sheds light onto the persistence and spatial distribution of battery-derived trace metals over time post-fire to provide insight into contaminant behavior after a historical battery fire event.