RAPID: Drinking Water System Contamination Response and Recovery Following the 2021 Colorado Wildfires

野火在美国西部造成了重大破坏，包括对饮用水系统的破坏。在野火期间，饮用水分配网络的塑料部件可能会发生燃烧和热解，随后释放出有毒的挥发性有机化学物质（VOCs），从而污染饮用水。这个RAPID项目将测试一个假设，即饮用水分配系统中受损的塑料部件释放的挥发性有机化合物是科罗拉多州博尔德县马歇尔火灾后观察到的水污染的部分原因。为了验证这一假设，来自受影响的水务公司的研究人员和合作者将进行实地研究，收集和分析水和火灾损坏的塑料水基础设施的短暂样本，包括管道、垫圈、仪表和房屋管道。通过将实地研究与有针对性的实验室实验相结合，研究人员及其合作者希望阐明塑料水基础设施损坏和塑料管道配方对野火后VOC饮用水污染的作用。该项目的成功完成将通过开发新知识来促进我们对野火对饮用水分配系统和水质影响的基本理解，从而造福社会。进一步的社会效益将通过学生教育和培训来实现，包括在普渡大学指导三名博士生和一名本科生。许多用于制造饮用水分配系统（DWDS）塑料部件的聚合物，如聚乙烯（PE），在燃烧和热解过程中会产生挥发性有机化合物（VOCs）。然而，关于VOC水污染与火灾对DDWS塑料部件（如管道、垫圈、仪表和住宅管道）造成损害之间关系的基本理解仍然难以捉摸。这个项目的首要目标是解决这些知识差距。为了推进这一目标，该项目的研究人员提出了一项综合的现场和实验室研究：(1)通过挖掘和表征受马歇尔火灾影响的合作公用事业DWDS中受损的塑料成分来确定关注的VOC；(2)使用含有抗氧化稳定剂（例如，丁基羟基甲苯）的PE平板作为模型系统，模拟和量化火灾对塑料水基础设施材料造成的损害中VOC的生成情况。通过开发新的基础知识，了解和减轻野火对饮用水质量和分配系统的不利影响，该项目的成功完成有可能产生变革性影响。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Wildfires are causing significant destruction in the Western United States including damages to drinking water systems. During wildfires, the plastic components of drinking water distribution networks can undergo combustion and pyrolysis with a subsequent release of toxic volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) that can contaminate drinking water. This RAPID project will test the hypothesis that VOCs released by the damaged plastic components of drinking water distribution systems are partially responsible for the water contamination that was observed following the Marshall Fire in Boulder County, Colorado. To test this hypothesis, the researchers and collaborators from the affected water utilities will carry out field studies to collect and analyze ephemeral samples of water and fire-damaged plastic water infrastructure including pipes, gaskets, meters, and premise plumbing. By combining the field studies with targeted laboratory experiments, the researchers and their collaborators hope to elucidate the role of plastic water infrastructure damage and plastic pipe formulation on VOC drinking water contamination following a wildfire. The successful completion of this project will benefit society through the development of new knowledge to advance our fundamental understanding of the impact of wildfires on drinking water distribution systems and water quality. Further benefits to society will be achieved through student education and training including the mentoring of three doctoral students and an undergraduate student at Purdue University. Many polymers that are utilized in the manufacturing of the plastic components of drinking water distribution systems (DWDS) such as polyethylene (PE) can generate volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during combustion and pyrolysis. However, a fundamental understanding of the relationships between VOC water contamination and fire-induced damages to the plastic components of DDWS (e.g., pipes, gaskets, meters, and premise plumbing) has remained elusive. The overarching goal of this project is to address these knowledge gaps. To advance this goal, the investigators of this project propose an integrated field and laboratory study to (1) identify VOCs of concern by exhuming and characterizing damaged plastic components from the DWDS of the collaborating utilities affected by the Marshal Fire, and 2) simulate and quantify VOC generation profiles from fire-induced damages to plastic water infrastructure materials using PE flat sheets with antioxidant stabilizers (e.g., butylated hydroxytoluene) as model systems. The successful completion of this project has the potential for transformative impact through the development of new fundamental knowledge to understand and mitigate the adverse impact of wildfires on drinking water quality and distribution systems.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.