About the seminar:

Wildfires in the wildland-urban interface (WUI) are an escalating concern, yet their impacts remain poorly understood because of unpredictable fire dynamics and the concurrent combustion of vegetation and manmade materials. Characterizing the chemical footprint of WUI fires is essential for assessing public health risks and guiding the restoration of affected sites. Among contaminants of emerging concern, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widely used in consumer products; however, their release and accumulation in soils during WUI fires remain largely unexplored. To address this knowledge gap, I will investigate PFAS release following the January 2025 Eaton Fire in Los Angeles, California. We collected soil, debris, and point sources from residential properties with varying levels of fire damage. PFAS extraction from WUI fires-impacted soils and debris is complicated by the high concentration of dissolved organic matter and the co-occurrence of a wide range of PFAS functional classes. To address these challenges, I will discuss an optimized extraction protocol that improves recovery across diverse PFAS compounds, followed by quantification using LC-MS/MS. Findings from this study will provide insights into how PFAS derived from WUI fires affect soil quality, contribute to contaminant persistence, and shape post-fire management strategies, addressing a critical knowledge gap for contaminants of emerging concern in WUI fires-impacted urban environments.