Latest news with #LAFireHEALTHStudy
Los Angeles Times
14 hours ago
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
Scientists argue for stricter lead soil contamination standards. What fire survivors should know
It's a number thousands of Palisades and Eaton fire survivors have come to depend on: 80 milligrams of lead in each kilogram of soil. Below this concentration, California has historically deemed yards safe enough for families to rebuild and move home after a fire. Any more, state scientists say, comes with a notable risk of kids developing neurological problems from the lead they accidentally inhale, absorb through their skin and eat while playing outside. In a new paper out Friday, Harvard environmental health researchers argue it's not strict enough. The scientists contend that the state's health standard is not based on sound science and should sit around 55 milligrams per kilogram of soil (a measure also referred to as 'parts per million') instead. 'We're getting asked these questions every single day, like every other scientist ... 'Is it safe for my kids?' ' said Joseph Allen, lead author on the paper and a Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health professor who has been working with fire survivors through the LA Fire HEALTH Study research program. 'I can't look at somebody in the eye any more, knowing what I know about these models, and tell them yes.' However, other soil and health researchers said it's a debate best confined to technical scientific papers, with few implications for fire survivors wondering if their property is safe. Here's what you should know: Lead can cause negative health effects at virtually any level of exposure, so scientists at California's Department of Toxic Substances Control set their health standard for lead in residential soil by first starting with a goal: The standard should prevent children from losing one IQ point due to lead exposure. To answer this, the department uses a computer model, LeadSpread, that estimates how much lead might enter the body of a kid who plays in the dirt, primarily through accidentally eating dirt left on their hands. Then, it determines what fraction of lead that has entered the body actually makes it into the bloodstream. From there, DTSC estimates that 1 microgram of lead per deciliter of blood results in a loss of one IQ point. By digging through DTSC's papers outlining how it calculated the 80 mg/kg standard, the Harvard researchers identified three issues. First, they point out that the standard comes from an old version of the department's model, LeadSpread 8. When DTSC recalculated the number with the updated LeadSpread 9, they got 70 mg/kg, but determined that the difference wouldn't significantly impact IQ. The Harvard researchers argue DTSC does not have a strong basis for that assumption. Second, the Harvard scientists warn that the LeadSpread model is disconcertingly dependent on other assumptions. For example, the model determines what percent of lead that enters the body ends up in the blood based on a 1983 study looking at infants who consumed formula contaminated with lead. It's a very different situation than soil, the Harvard scientists argue, and even a slight shift of that percentage can give a much stricter result of around 55 mg/kg. The same is true if DTSC were to use a higher estimate for how much dirt, on average, a kid ingests per day. Finally, the Harvard researchers point out that lead causes harm not just to the nervous system — for which the IQ metric attempts to account — but also to bones, the kidneys and the heart. And not all kids have the same risk. Kids with other health conditions may be more sensitive, as are 2-year-olds compared to 6-year-olds. 'The model sort of happens in a vacuum,' said Lindsey Burghardt, chief science officer at Harvard's Center on the Developing Child and author of the paper. 'But kids … live in the context of their developmental environment where they're having a number of different exposures and experiences, whether they're positive or negative.' DTSC did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Many soil and environmental health researchers say the debate shouldn't concern fire survivors all that much. Given all the uncertainty in lead modeling — and the wide range of sensitivity different kids may have based on their health conditions and how much they play in the dirt — many researchers say concerned residents should focus on their own risks and think about lead levels as 'much lower than the standard,' 'close to the standard,' and 'much higher than the standard' instead of obsessing over differences in digits. For example, much higher levels in soil that's about to get covered with a new concrete foundation might not matter all that much. Levels close to the standard in the yard of a home with no kids may not matter if the residents aren't avid gardeners and always take their shoes off when entering the house. On the flip side, even lower levels in the soil in an area where a 2-year-old likes playing in the mud could pose a risk that's unacceptable for a resident. Seth John, a professor of earth sciences at USC, pointed out that, while different LeadSpread assumptions could lead to a much lower standard, the opposite is also true. John also noted that the federal Environmental Protection Agency's standard is even higher at 200 mg/kg — which is down from 400 mg/kg for play areas and 1,600 mg/kg for other residential areas just a year ago. California didn't adopt its current standard until 2009. The Harvard scientists point out this downward trend in the standard has been due to new science showing kids are more sensitive to lead than previously thought. Their 55 mg/kg update, they say, is for the same reason. USC's Contaminant Level Evaluation and Analysis for Neighborhoods (CLEAN) project team, which John is working with to test the post-fire soil across L.A. County, said 43% of properties they've tested exceed the 80 mg/kg standard, while 57% exceeded 55 mg/kg. John also argued the debate over the lead standard distracts from the simple steps residents can take to protect themselves and their kids. USC CLEAN continues to offer free soil testing for all L.A. County residents — thanks in part to funding from FireAid. The L.A. County Department of Public Health is also offering free soil testing for residents in select areas inside and downwind of the Eaton fire burn scar. The department also offers free lead blood testing (as do most insurances) through Quest Labs for anyone concerned about their exposure. Soil researchers say the most effective way to remediate contaminated soil is to have the top layer scraped off and replaced with fresh soil. If residents can't afford a full scrape, simply adding fresh top soil on the contaminated soil can shield residents from the contamination. Even without remediation, there are plenty of ways residents can reduce their exposure. The most direct is by limiting contact with soil. For kids, that might mean going to clean parks to play in the dirt. For adults, it could mean always wearing gloves when gardening. To avoid continued exposure when inside, residents can routinely wash their hands, take their shoes off when entering the house, wipe down pets after they play in the yard, and invest in air purifiers to remove any contaminated dust.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Researchers find drinking water is safe in Eaton, Palisades burn areas as utilities lift last 'do not drink' order
Scientists have released some of the first independent test results confirming that drinking water in fire-affected areas around Altadena and the Pacific Palisades is largely free of harmful contaminants, as an Altadena utility lifted the last 'do not drink' notice left in the burn zones. Researchers with the LA Fire HEALTH Study released results on Friday from 53 homes spread across the burn areas and the more than three miles surrounding them. They found only one with a toxic substance at dangerous levels: at one home, the water contained benzene, a known carcinogen, at concentrations slightly above the state's allowable level of 1 part per billion. The findings add to mounting evidence that the affected area's drinking water is safe. In March, Caltech professor Francois Tissot's team found no lead levels above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's limit in the tap water of the 43 homes they tested in Altadena and surrounding communities. Separately, UCLA professor Sanjay Mohanty's group found no concerning levels of heavy metals or potentially harmful "forever" chemicals in 45 homes tested in the Palisades. Experts noted that LA Fire HEALTH Study's elevated benzene level — at 1.6 ppb — remains below the federal limit of 5 ppb and would likely drop below 1 ppb once the homeowner follows the utilities' recommendation to run all faucets in the entire house for at least five minutes to flush contaminants out of the lines before using the tap water. The state's limit of 1 ppb equates to no more than a two-in-one-million chance of a resident developing cancer from a lifetime exposure to the contaminant at that level, according to the State Water Resources Control Board. For higher, short-term exposures to benzene, the U.S. EPA says exposure to over 200 ppb for more than a day could have negative, non-cancer health consequences for children. 'I'm optimistic from these results,' said Chris Olivares, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of California, Irvine, who has led the tap water-testing part of the LA Fire HEALTH Study. 'The major takeaway, I think, is the importance of flushing.' Read more: When FEMA failed to test soil for toxic substances after the L.A. fires, The Times had it done. The results were alarming Andrew Whelton — a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Purdue University and a pioneer in the field of post-fire water contamination and remediation — attributes the quick and successful restoration of safe drinking water to the hard work of local utilities and state regulators, which followed a post-fire playbook Whelton and others developed in the wake of the 2017 Tubbs fire in Santa Rosa, 2018 Camp fire in Paradise, and subsequent fires throughout Colorado in 2021 and Hawaii in 2023. The way dangerous volatile organic compounds, like benzene, could contaminate water supplies after a wildfire wasn't well known or studied until a Santa Rosa resident reported a strong smell of gasoline — a signature indicator of benzene — when turning on their kitchen faucet for the first time after the 2017 fire. Scientists and public health officials raced to understand and solve the problem. They found benzene levels as high as 40,000 ppb, and it took a year to restore safe water. After the Camp fire, scientists found levels over 900 ppb, which took eight months to remediate. After the L.A. County fires, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power found one instance of benzene at 71.3 ppb. The utility worked around the clock to restore safe water, first by closing roughly 4,800 open connections at fire hydrants and destroyed homes to restore water pressure, then continuously flushing water out of the system to push out contaminants. As they went, they tested and retested until benzene levels dropped to near-zero. LADWP — with the approval of the State Water Resources Control Board — lifted its 'do not drink' notice on March 7, exactly two months after the Palisades fire broke out. Two of the three smaller customer-owned utilities in Altadena, Lincoln Avenue Water Co. and Rubio Cañon Land and Water Assn. — which also detected benzene in their systems after the fires — quickly followed. The third, Las Flores Water Co., lifted the last 'do not drink' notice on May 9. Las Flores had registered the highest benzene levels of all the utilities: 440 ppb from a sample collected on April 10. The LA Fire HEALTH Study team tested roughly eight homes within each burn area and over a dozen in adjacent communities between February and April while the testing and flushing process was ongoing. The results are some of the first from the LA Fire HEALTH Study's broad-ranging, privately funded effort between nearly a dozen academic and medical institutions, to understand the health consequences of the L.A. County fires over the course of 10 years. Outside the burn areas, no homes the team sampled exceeded the state's allowable limit for benzene or any of the other two dozen volatile organic compounds for which the group tested. And inside the burn areas, benzene was the only contaminant that exceeded the state's allowable limits. Read more: Inside the battle to restore drinking water in Altadena and Pacific Palisades Although the utilities have worked for months to flush contaminants out of the labyrinth of pipes shuttling water from reservoirs to private properties, it's homeowners who are responsible for finishing out the job and flushing the pipes on their own properties. The researchers stressed that the one benzene exceedance — found in Lincoln Avenue's service area one week after the utility's "do not drink" notice was lifted — is a reminder that residents should follow the utilities' guidance for safe water use once returning home. "Lincoln Avenue Water Company's top priority is to provide safe and reliable drinking water to the community. Through extensive testing, we have established that our system is in compliance with all state and federal water quality standards," said Lincoln Avenue general manager Jennifer Betancourt Torres, in a statement to The Times. "It's important to emphasize that samples taken from inside the home are considered a representation of the residential plumbing and not the water being delivered," she said. The utilities and water safety experts say residents should first flush all of their lines — every faucet and spigot, both hot and cold, for at least five minutes. They should also run all appliances and fixtures, like dishwashers and washing machines, once with hot water before using. Two batches of ice from a fridge icemaker should be discarded. Each utility is providing detailed, up-to-date guidance for their customers on their respective websites, including LADWP, Rubio Cañon, Lincoln Avenue and Las Flores. Staff writer Ian James contributed to this report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
13-05-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
Researchers find drinking water is safe in Eaton, Palisades burn areas as utilities lift last ‘do not drink' order
Scientists have released some of the first independent test results confirming that drinking water in fire-affected areas around Altadena and the Pacific Palisades is largely free of harmful contaminants, as an Altadena utility lifted the last 'do not drink' notice left in the burn zones. Researchers with the LA Fire HEALTH Study released results on Friday from 53 homes spread across the burn areas and the more than three miles surrounding them. They found only one with a toxic substance at dangerous levels: at one home, the water contained benzene, a known carcinogen, at concentrations slightly above the state's allowable level of 1 part per billion. The findings add to mounting evidence that the affected area's drinking water is safe. In March, Caltech professor Francois Tissot's team found no lead levels above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's limit in the tap water of the 43 homes they tested in Altadena and surrounding communities. Separately, UCLA professor Sanjay Mohanty's group found no concerning levels of heavy metals or potentially harmful 'forever' chemicals in 45 homes tested in the Palisades. Experts noted that LA Fire HEALTH Study's elevated benzene level — at 1.6 ppb — remains below the federal limit of 5 ppb and would likely drop below 1 ppb once the homeowner follows the utilities' recommendation to run all faucets in the entire house for at least five minutes to flush contaminants out of the lines before using the tap water. The state's limit of 1 ppb equates to no more than a two-in-one-million chance of a resident developing cancer from a lifetime exposure to the contaminant at that level, according to the State Water Resources Control Board. For higher, short-term exposures to benzene, the U.S. EPA says exposure to over 200 ppb for more than a day could have negative, non-cancer health consequences for children. 'I'm optimistic from these results,' said Chris Olivares, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of California, Irvine, who has led the tap water-testing part of the LA Fire HEALTH Study. 'The major takeaway, I think, is the importance of flushing.' Andrew Whelton — a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Purdue University and a pioneer in the field of post-fire water contamination and remediation — attributes the quick and successful restoration of safe drinking water to the hard work of local utilities and state regulators, which followed a post-fire playbook Whelton and others developed in the wake of the 2017 Tubbs fire in Santa Rosa, 2018 Camp fire in Paradise, and subsequent fires throughout Colorado in 2021 and Hawaii in 2023. The way dangerous volatile organic compounds, like benzene, could contaminate water supplies after a wildfire wasn't well known or studied until a Santa Rosa resident reported a strong smell of gasoline — a signature indicator of benzene — when turning on their kitchen faucet for the first time after the 2017 fire. Scientists and public health officials raced to understand and solve the problem. They found benzene levels as high as 40,000 ppb, and it took a year to restore safe water. After the Camp fire, scientists found levels over 900 ppb, which took eight months to remediate. After the L.A. County fires, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power found one instance of benzene at 71.3 ppb. The utility worked around the clock to restore safe water, first by closing roughly 4,800 open connections at fire hydrants and destroyed homes to restore water pressure, then continuously flushing water out of the system to push out contaminants. As they went, they tested and retested until benzene levels dropped to near-zero. LADWP — with the approval of the State Water Resources Control Board — lifted its 'do not drink' notice on March 7, exactly two months after the Palisades fire broke out. Two of the three smaller customer-owned utilities in Altadena, Lincoln Avenue Water Co. and Rubio Cañon Land and Water Assn. — which also detected benzene in their systems after the fires — quickly followed. The third, Las Flores Water Co., lifted the last 'do not drink' notice on May 9. Las Flores had registered the highest benzene levels of all the utilities: 440 ppb from a sample collected on April 10. The LA Fire HEALTH Study team tested roughly eight homes within each burn area and over a dozen in adjacent communities between February and April while the testing and flushing process was ongoing. The results are some of the first from the LA Fire HEALTH Study's broad-ranging, privately funded effort between nearly a dozen academic and medical institutions, to understand the health consequences of the L.A. County fires over the course of 10 years. Outside the burn areas, no homes the team sampled exceeded the state's allowable limit for benzene or any of the other two dozen volatile organic compounds for which the group tested. And inside the burn areas, benzene was the only contaminant that exceeded the state's allowable limits. Although the utilities have worked for months to flush contaminants out of the labyrinth of pipes shuttling water from reservoirs to private properties, it's homeowners who are responsible for finishing out the job and flushing the pipes on their own properties. The researchers stressed that the one benzene exceedance — found in Lincoln Avenue's service area one week after the utility's 'do not drink' notice was lifted — is a reminder that residents should follow the utilities' guidance for safe water use once returning home. 'Lincoln Avenue Water Company's top priority is to provide safe and reliable drinking water to the community. Through extensive testing, we have established that our system is in compliance with all state and federal water quality standards,' said Lincoln Avenue general manager Jennifer Betancourt Torres, in a statement to The Times. 'It's important to emphasize that samples taken from inside the home are considered a representation of the residential plumbing and not the water being delivered,' she said. The utilities and water safety experts say residents should first flush all of their lines — every faucet and spigot, both hot and cold, for at least five minutes. They should also run all appliances and fixtures, like dishwashers and washing machines, once with hot water before using. Two batches of ice from a fridge icemaker should be discarded. Each utility is providing detailed, up-to-date guidance for their customers on their respective websites, including LADWP, Rubio Cañon, Lincoln Avenue and Las Flores. Staff writer Ian James contributed to this report.
