Post-FIRE pollutants mobilisation into surface water resources

Wildfires have become a pressing concern due to their increasing frequency, size and severity, which can lead to the release of emerging contaminants in addition to established contaminants. These wildfires have significant impacts on water resources through the transfer of contaminants and nutrients during rainfall events. Pyrogenic organic matter (PYROM) and nanoparticles (NPs) derived from burned ash, charred soil organic matter and aerosols enter surface waters, fundamentally altering water quality and impacting ecosystems and drinking water safety. The hypothesis of this study is that PYROM induce the formation of new disinfection by-products when chlorine is used in drinking water treatment plants, which requires a thorough characterisation of soluble PYROM and their reactivity during disinfection. In addition, the research highlights the need to characterise these soluble compounds, particularly persistent mobile organic compounds. Furthermore, the study explores how wildfires generate uncharacterised nanophases and induce changes in metal speciation that affect the quality of aquatic ecosystems, with a focus on metal ion speciation, whether as NPs or complexed with organic matter.