Just had a sample of the Eaton Fire ash that is in my driveway run on the department XRF. Is there titanium (new house paint)? Yup. Lead (old house paint)? You betcha. Heavy metals? Check. Treat that ash like it's toxic folks (because it is)
1 / 2
Comments
And confirmation of the rest.
Peer pressure
Seriously, children play outside when the air quality is in the 200’s.
I pray there is a longitudinal study starting now to collect the early data. God help them.
Please, please, please take care of yourselves, you are our warriors, we need you healthy, it may not get you today but years from now it will. You will be a mentor to the next warrior, you are no good sick!
Frightening to see people with no breathing protections standing amidst the rubble of completely destroyed homes
It must be toxic. Please try to stay safe 🙏
Love from NYC
Probably many of the evacuees and support personnel as well.
Last week, two ServiceMaster reps came to my house--across N Altadena Dr from leveled houses and the gutted Jewish Temple--without masks! I see unmasked ServPro reps on my block now.
PuroClean? "Green Planet"? (I'm not fooled by a name, but I appreciate the gesture.)
Here’s what masks Niosh recommends for lead dust:
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npgd0368.html
LA residents will see an increase in cardiac, lung & cancers from exposure to toxic air & soil.
My heart goes out to everyone impacted by the fires.
having a hard time letting my toddler touch basically anything and I'm down in South LA
https://abc7.com/post/socal-wildfires-concern-air-quality-grows-strong-winds-blow-ash-burn-areas/15820663/
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/20/climate/los-angeles-wildfires-lead-chlorine-air-quality.html
We need a massive toxic cleanup plan. I expect that the most expedient means of recovery will prevail.
If so, in a decade we will have tens of thousands of people sick and dying in exactly the same manner as the World Trade Center first responders do now.
#ToxicTort
During clean-ups, it’s also important to wear chemical-proof gloves, arm gauntlets, & other covers you can shed & keep separate from your life & family.
Just touch it to a sample to know the toxicity.
Enviro agencies OFTEN give in to huge political pressure to cut corners. They often give false public assurances that a halfway cleanup is “safe enough.” Beware.
Once the primary clean-up is done, it could be worthwhile doing “phyto-remediation.” (Grow specific plants to extract toxins from soil, then pull up & dispose of plants).
Also, do you have a control sample?
Topic: STRATEGY MEETING: How to Present Community-Wide Industrial Hygienist Results
Time: Jan 27, 2025 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89861056266?pwd=MpKiRDx8b77O6k8OU4J3nN0QYiTqCb.1
Meeting ID: 898 6105 6266
Passcode: 686497
In Palisades, a control sample should be more like from 6ft under. Bc I think it burned at least once since ubiquitous use of modern materials/toxins.🤔
@funranium.bsky.social can say better than I.
https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna30834316
Intense wildfires burn the top layer(s) of soil.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0883292720303590
https://www.jstor.org/stable/83030
Al, Si, Zr, Mg: Probably silicates from soil material
Ca, K: Wood ash, maybe also soil material (silicates and carbonates)
Ti: May be from soil, but also used in whitener in e.g. paint, sunscreen, toothpaste.
The rest: maybe from soil, road dust,etc. but poss. also from burnt stuff.
We detected strontium, arsenic, boron, barium, antimony, etc, in ash on our garden & fruit trees after a huge & horrible auto junkyard fire a quarter mile from our home in 2015.
Found LOTS of online tech articles about such contaminants.
Try “ToxNet” at National Library.
- manufacturing of aerosol paints;
- to make fireworks (pyrotechnics) for industrial and military purposes,
- medicinal toothpastes for sensitive teeth,
- to make high quality pottery glaze.
Source: https://periodic-table.com/strontium/
😆
The red stuff, Phos-Chek is ammonium phosphate, a salt that isn’t horrible for vegetation
what how many places actually still have lead paint
that's gonna be everywhere
not a trained public health communicator so being able to share this is super helpful.
“The order applies to all areas of Los Angeles County due to the widespread presence of ash and particulate matter in the air throughout the entire region.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/DEq3O6opQkq/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
With what looks to be a drought year staring us in the face I don’t know when the reprieve will come and am ♾️ thankful to the smart folks figuring it out!
At least it doesn't burn under normal operation...