In order to screen victims of the January firestorms for potential exposure to lead, a deadly neurotoxin frequently found in wildfire ash and debris, the L.A. County Department of Public Health is hosting its last free community blood testing session on Friday.
So far, community testing has revealed relatively low levels of lead exposure in people, despite the fact that significant levels of lead have been identified in the soil of the Eaton and Palisades fire burn scars.
The Altadena Community Center, located at 730 E. Altadena Drive, will host the event on Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Through the end of the year, residents who were impacted by the wildfires can still get free blood lead tests at a Quest Diagnostics lab by contacting (800) 524-5323.
The county’s public health department reports that only seven of the more than 1,500 individuals screened at prior community events had test results above the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s blood-lead reference value of 3.5 micrograms per deciliter, meaning that most tested individuals do not have elevated lead levels.
Environment & Climate
In Altadena and the Pacific Palisades, the Times conducted tests for lead, mercury, and other heavy metals. The risks of exposure range from lung cancer to respiratory issues.
However, because lead exposure is a known health risk, the government continues to urge wildfire survivors to take advantage of this free chance.
Children’s growing neurological systems and propensity for playing near the ground make them more susceptible to lead poisoning. Learning disabilities, developmental delays, and other severe illnesses like heart disease and renal damage can all result from poisoning. Lead exposure during pregnancy increases the chance of miscarriage, low birth weight kids, early delivery, and stillbirth.
A growing amount of research indicates that fires, particularly those that spread through urban areas and burn plastic, electronics, and synthetic materials, release a large amount of toxic metals into the environment that can persist long after flames are extinguished, which is why lead exposure is a concern.
Environment & Climate
The federal government made the decision not to conduct hazardous material tests on the soil in the burn regions of Los Angeles. High concentrations of lead and other hazardous elements were discovered during a Times investigation.
36% of soil samples taken in the Eaton burn scar showed levels over the state health limit of 80 milligrams of lead per kilogram of soil, according to testing the county commissioned earlier this year. Between 70% and 80% of the lead levels were higher in the region southwest of the Eaton fire zone. Although officials noted isolated hot areas of heavy metals like arsenic, there was no indication of widespread lead contamination in the Pacific Palisades burn zone.
Two out of ten remediated Eaton-area sites still had lead levels more than three times the recommended threshold, according to The Times’ own survey of 40 properties in Altadena and Pacific Palisades.
$3 million from prior lead-paint settlement payments has been set aside by Los Angeles County to help homeowners within a mile downwind of the Eaton scar with soil testing. Residents can check their eligibility and read through comprehensive instructions for collecting dirt on the department’s soil-testing program website. The program is free for residents.