Ash left behind from Los Angeles wildfires could be toxic, experts warn

Toni Boucher vomited the first time she saw the ruins of her home and neighborhood after the devastating wildfires that ripped through the Los Angeles area this month. Now she wonders if it’s worth going back to sift through the ashes and try to find her grandmother’s wedding ring.

She’s not just concerned about the trauma Boucher, 70, experienced witnessing destruction in Altadena, where she has lived for decades. She’s also concerned about possible health risks.

“They’re talking about asbestos, they’re talking about lead, they’re talking about all the things that burned in the loss of the home and the dangers of that,” Boucher said.

Experts say the fires caused complex chemical reactions in paint, furniture, building materials, cars, electronics and other belongings, turning ordinary objects into potentially toxic ash and requiring protection to be handled safely. It warns you that you will need supplies. Ash can contain harmful lead, asbestos, and arsenic, as well as new synthetic materials.

“Ashes aren’t just ash. Go back to what’s in your garage or home. What is your furniture made of? What is your appliance made of? What is your home made of? asked Scott MacLean, former deputy chief of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s communications bureau. “Many of them are petroleum products and various composite materials, which are extremely dangerous due to fire when burned.”

This is especially problematic when people start sorting through fire damage. Research shows that people involved in reconstruction work in areas affected by volcanic ash may face health risks from breathing in what is there.

Even safe chemicals commonly found in household materials, such as titanium dioxide in paint and copper in pipes, can form more reactive compounds after a fire, says researchers at the University of South Carolina. said Mohamed Baalusha, a professor of environmental health sciences who studies ash. Samples to better understand what materials are present and how they change after a wildfire.

Scientists are still trying to understand exactly how these chemical changes affect human health, not only in California but also in Maui and other areas left scarred by wildfires. There is.

Maui residents have been kept away from contaminated areas for nearly two months, but they remain concerned about long-term health effects. California officials will not allow residents to return to many locations, likely for at least a week, while they restore public facilities, conduct safety operations and search for people, according to Los Angeles County’s recovery website.

Some chemicals have been linked to cardiovascular disease and decreased lung function. Other adverse health effects can result from inhaling the more mobile and toxic forms of arsenic, chromium, and benzene. For example, exposure to magnetite, which is formed when fire burns iron, has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease.

Because of how many complex chemical reactions are going on and how many substances have yet to be studied, “it will actually take a long time to understand the full potential health effects of these particles.” That could happen,” Varousha said.

Researchers have pointed to a variety of health problems potentially associated with dust from the September 11, 2001 attacks.

“I always thought about all the people who ran into the World Trade Center on 9/11, but they were actually there for not that long given their total exposure time. ” said researcher Jackson Webster. As a professor of civil engineering at California State University, Chico, he is in charge of fire aftermath. “But we’re seeing an increase in cases of all kinds of illnesses, diseases.”

Varousha added that scientists are also concerned about where all the waste is going. Some potentially hazardous substances can end up in drinking water or into the ocean, harming marine life. That’s what experts in Hawaii are studying after the massive fires that broke out on Maui last year.

While researchers continue their work, safety should be a top priority for people returning to their homes in California, he said.

“There are so many emotions and emotions going on that we can let our guard down, but we shouldn’t,” Varousha said. “Just be safe. Make sure you wear all the equipment you can, at least an N95 mask and gloves, and stay safe because you lost your property. But it can also damage your health in the long run. I don’t want to give you that.

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