Innovation in Bioremediation Byproducts Circularity

Wildfire relief

County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit)

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

Wildfires in LA County leave behind toxic soils contaminated with metals, dioxins, and persistent pollutants. CAER is launching a 100-site nature-based bioremediation program using plants and fungi to restore these soils. However, the resulting biomass (plants and fungi used in cleanup) remains an underutilized—and potentially hazardous—waste stream. No local model exists to process this material, yet doing so is critical to making bioremediation a viable, scalable strategy for post-fire and broader pollution cleanup. There is an urgent need to develop circular, climate-positive recovery models and safe, scalable uses for these byproducts—creating both economic and ecological value while addressing wildfire-related and wider pollution challenges in LA County.

This grant will support the R&D of circular solutions for post-fire bioremediation byproducts. CAER will prototype processes to transform contaminated biomass into biochar (carbon-sequestering soil amendment), metal-extracted fertilizers and biochar, and myco-bricks for green building. We will conduct bench-scale testing to evaluate safety, contaminant fate, and material viability, as well as undertake a feasibility study and techno-economic analysis of this program. The project will engage local scientists, Indigenous partners, green building experts, and the fire-impacted community in codesign. Deliverables include 3+ viable prototypes, circular processing protocols, and a public workshop on findings. This builds on CAER’s proven post-fire (and other) bioremediation program and ongoing innovation in fungal biotechnology. Our vision is a zero-waste, regenerative model for wildfire bioremediation that can scale regionally and inform remediation policy in LA County and beyond.

If successful, this project will demonstrate safe, circular uses for post-fire bioremediation byproducts—reducing waste, sequestering carbon, and generating sustainable materials and green jobs. LA County will benefit from a replicable model for regenerative wildfire recovery, reducing landfill burden, supporting climate resilience, and embedding circular economy practices into disaster response. Long-term, we aim to scale this pilot across the region, integrating circular processing into post-disaster remediation programs and regional green infrastructure initiatives.