Through The Associated Press’s Melina Walling
When Toni Boucher first saw the burned-out remnants of her neighborhood and home during this month’s catastrophic wildfires in the Los Angeles area, she puked. She now questions if it would be worthwhile to return and search through the ashes for her grandmother’s wedding band.
She is concerned about more than just the anguish she endured after witnessing the devastation in Altadena, where 70-year-old Boucher has resided for many years. She worries about potential health hazards as well.
According to Boucher, they discuss lead, asbestos, and everything else that has burned down in the homes that have been destroyed, as well as the risks involved.
According to experts, the fires caused intricate chemical reactions on paint, furniture, building materials, automobiles, electronics, and other possessions, transforming commonplace items into potentially hazardous ash that needs to be handled carefully with protective gear. In addition to more recent synthetic materials, the ash may contain hazardous lead, asbestos, or arsenic.
Ash isn’t simply ash. Return to the garage or other areas of your house. What material is used to make your furniture? What materials are used to make your appliances? What materials are used to build your home? questioned Scott McLean, a former deputy chief of the communications department of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Many of them are petroleum products and various composites that, when they catch fire, pose serious risks.
When people begin sorting through fire debris, that becomes really problematic.According to studies, those recovering in ash-affected areas may be at danger for health problems if they breathe in any contaminants.
According to Mohammed Baalousha, a professor of environmental health sciences at the University of South Carolina, who examines ash samples to learn more about the materials present and how they alter after wildfires, even safe chemicals that are frequently found in household materials, like copper in pipes or titanium dioxide in paint, can create compounds that are more reactive after a fire.
Researchers are currently attempting to determine the precise effects of those chemical alterations on human health, not only in California but also in locations like Maui and other wildfire-affected areas.
Residents of Maui are still concerned about the long-term health effects even after they were kept out of hazardous regions for almost two months. According to Los Angeles County’s recovery website, authorities in California are preventing citizens from returning to numerous areas, probably for at least a week, while they restore utilities, carry out safety operations, and look for people.
Certain substances are associated with decreased lung function and cardiovascular disease. Inhaling more mobile and hazardous forms of benzene, arsenic, and chromium may have further negative health impacts. For instance, Alzheimer’s disease has been connected to exposure to magnetite, which is created when iron is burned by fire.
Because there are so many intricate chemical processes occurring and so many compounds that need more research, it could take a while to identify all of the possible health impacts of these particles, according to Baalousha.
Numerous health issues have been attributed by researchers to dust from the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
According to Jackson Webster, a professor of civil engineering at California State University, Chico who specializes in fire aftermath, “I always kind of reminded myself of all the people that ran into the World Trade Center on 9/11 and were really there for not that long of a period of time in terms of their total exposure.” However, the number of cases of various illnesses has climbed.
Scientists are also concerned about where all the garbage will end up, Baalousha noted.Certain potentially dangerous substances may find their way into drinking water or even the ocean, where they could negatively impact marine life. Following the fatal Maui fire last year, specialists in Hawaii are researching that.
FILE: On Thursday, January 9, 2025, Nancy Belanger, following the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, splashes water on a neighbor’s property that has been devastated by the fire. (Jae C. Hong, File/AP Photo)AP
“People going back to their homes in California should prioritize their safety while researchers continue their work,” he said.
We understand that there are a lot of sensations and emotions there, so you might lower your defenses, but Baalousha advised against it. Simply stay safe. Take caution. Put on everything you can, including gloves and a N95 mask, and be careful. due to the fact that you lost your stuff. But over time, you don’t want to harm your health as well.
Alexa St. John, a reporter for the Associated Press, contributed from Detroit.
Melina Walling can be followed on [email protected] and X@MelinaWalling. You may contact Alexa St. John at [email protected] or follow her on X@alexa_stjohn.
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