What LA Residents Are Breathing Is Toxic: Mercury, PCBs, Lead From Burned Electronics, Cars & Buildings In The Mix

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The chemical composition of the smoke and ash in Los Angeles right now is different from forest fire smoke, which is plenty toxic on its own, said Lim. The more than 40,000 acres that have burned since last week in LA included more than 12,000 structures and everything around them, from cars to infrastructure. The firestorms that began 10 days ago are releasing chemicals from electronics, laminated floors, treated wood, paint, metals, cleaning products stored under sinks and an incalculable volume of plastics. Fallout from urban fires typically includes heavy metals like lead and mercury along with PCBs and noxious gases, all of which are now hovering over or landing around homes of Angelenos.

Significant exposure to urban wildfire pollution carries both acute and chronic impacts for human bodies, said Rima Habre, an environmental health scholar at the University of Southern California who lives in Los Angeles. During and immediately after wildfires and urban conflagrations, those with compromised respiratory systems, cardiovascular issues or any condition related to inflammation are likely to feel the impact. Incidences of heart attacks and strokes go up right after firestorms. Habre says more research is needed on potential long-term effects, but what’s been proven so far is harrowing. The “chronic” impacts include lower birth weights, enduring lung conditions in children, a variety of cancers in adults and increased cases of dementia.

“The biggest impacts are the mental health ones, long term,” says Habre, referring to everyone experiencing the regional crisis and its toxic-air aftereffects, not only those who lost homes. Anxiety. Depression. Trauma responses with their crippling triggers. And bigger picture, she notes that people are collectively processing the recent barrage of worst-case scenarios come to life: “With climate change, there’s an expectation that these things could happen more often.”

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County and regional officials are not offering specific timelines for how long the high-alert air quality conditions might last, but more than one have used the phrase “long haul.” On Wednesday, the LA Country Public Health Officer prohibited the removal of debris from burn sites “until a hazardous materials inspection is completed by an approved government agency.” Municipalities like Santa Monica, which sits just south of the Palisades fire zone, have posted social media reminders about air quality warnings and best-practices for self-protection on a daily basis this week. Wednesday, the City of Pasadena declared a local public health emergency “due to the widespread impacts of Eaton Fire, including the presence of ash and particulate matter in the air throughout the community.”

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https://insideclimatenews.org/news/17012025/toxic-smoke-threaten-los-angeles-residents/