About FEWA Lab

The FEWA Lab studies the biogeochemical cycling of pollutants in wildfire (Fire), terrestrial systems (Earth), aquatic systems (Water), and the atmosphere (Air).

Multi-disciplinary, multi-systems, and multi-methods approach to improving the current state-of-the-art in pollutant biogeochemistry

Methods applied by the FEWA Lab include:

Stable and unstable isotopes tracing
Mobile sampling platforms (unpiloted aerial vehicles (UAVs), research aircraft, ground-based vehicles)
Large-scale mesocosm experiments
Dendrochronology and dendrochemistry

Air monitoring sensors
Passive air sampling (diffusive, non-electrical monitoring)
Active air monitoring (pumped, electrical monitoring)
Process-driven modelling

Combining these different technologies and methods provides potential for greater quantitative and qualitative assessment of the spatiotemporal dynamics of organic and inorganic pollutants in the environmental.

Indigeneity, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (IEDI)

The FEWA Lab is an avid supporter of IEDI. The lab provides equal opportunity to student researchers of all background and is also highly collaborative research group that has built meaningful research connections (past and present) in all seven of the world’s continents.

Global issues require collaborative global solutions

Many of the issues caused by environmental pollutants are global in nature and driven by excessive consumerism. Actions to reduce domestic use and emissions of certain pollutants alone is not always effective to reduce domestic impacts of those pollutants due to global product lifecycles and their long-range transport potential in the environment.

Students and researchers are encouraged to develop and explore their own contributions to their scientific fields through initiative and network building. The ultimate goal of this global research strategy is to reduce the impacts of pollutants on human and environmental health in Canada and abroad.