Cesium uptake and transport in wildfire-affected soils: Implications of wildfire-altered organic matter

초록

Recent climate change leads to more frequent and larger wildfires, significantly altering the organic matter (OM) matrix in subsurface environments. Wildfires reduce unstable and soluble OM fractions and generate pyrogenic materials such as char and charcoal. These changes in OM properties caused by wildfires could influence uptake and transport processes of pollutants, but they are rarely studied. This study evaluated the role and contribution of OM in the cesium uptake and migration in soils affected by wildfires. Soil samples were collected at forest sites with a history of large-scale fires. The surface soils, organic-rich (7–8 wt%) with abundant particulate pyrogenic OM (PyOM), exhibited higher cesium uptake capabilities and significant retardation of cesium transport compared to the subsoils. Additionally, extracted OM from surface soils showed greater cesium uptake than expected. The findings suggest a potential role of wildfire-altered OM in the distribution and immobilization of cesium in subsurface environments. © 2025 The Authors

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