Alarming Lead Levels Found in Eaton Fire Burn Area

Tags: Eaton Fire, Lead Contamination, Air Quality, Environmental Health, Caltech Research

Lead Contamination Detected in Homes Affected by Eaton Fire

Researchers at Caltech have been analyzing samples from homes in Altadena and surrounding areas since the Eaton Fire burned hundreds of homes in January. Out of 52 tests, more than half showed lead levels exceeding the EPA safety limit on indoor surfaces.

“For children, there is no safe level of lead,” warned Francois Tissot, a Caltech professor of geochemistry.

Severe Lead Accumulation in Indoor Dust and Ash

Tissot’s laboratory has been processing dust and ash samples collected from windowsills in the affected area. In one case, a sample showed 6,000 micrograms of lead per square foot, far exceeding the EPA limit of 40 micrograms.

“If you were in the fire plume, especially in Pasadena near the burn zone, there will be lead and heavy metals in the house,” Tissot said. “For sure.”

Some homes, including one tested by Caltech, have lead contamination so severe that experts consider them too dangerous to inhabit until proper remediation is completed.

Cleaning Can Reduce Lead Levels – But Not Always

Tests showed that 90% of cleaned windowsills had lead levels within safe limits. However, in some cases, cleaning alone did not completely eliminate contamination.

“You cannot just assume that because you have cleaned, it is clean,” Tissot cautioned.

Air Quality Monitoring and Future Research

Caltech researchers, including air quality expert Paul Wennberg, are also tracking airborne dust levels in the burn area. With 25 air monitors placed in and around the Eaton burn zone, they have found that dust levels spike overnight, possibly due to ash blowing down from the mountains.

The next phase of research will focus on identifying potential toxins in the dust and assessing their impact on human health.

Residents in affected areas are urged to take precautionary measures, including regular cleaning and monitoring of air quality updates on Caltech’s website.