Smoke from LA fires exposed millions of people to high levels of toxic heavy metals, study says
Researchers found the urban plume carried 50 times more lead than typical wildfire smoke, raising concern over short-term exposure risks.
- A new study published in Science Advances found smoke from the 2025 Los Angeles Eaton Fire exposed about 7 million people to lead levels 80 times typical background levels during a 24-hour peak.
- California Institute of Technology researchers found the urban plume contained 50 times more lead than vegetation-only smoke, as the fire destroyed more than 16,000 structures releasing chemicals from paints and electronics.
- Scientists utilized the Atmospheric Science and Chemistry mEasurement NeTwork to analyze smoke composition hourly, distinguishing emissions from burning structures like electronics and plastics during the fire's course.
- Keck School of Medicine professor Ed Avol called the findings "surprising" and a reminder of a "strange and increasingly dangerous new world" where urban and wildland areas intersect and catch fire.
- Experts urge policymakers to adapt emergency responses and monitoring as climate change pushes more intense fires into populated urban areas, posing unique health risks requiring stronger wildfire prevention strategies.
76 Articles
76 Articles
Millions of Los Angeles-area residents apparently inhaled far more than ash during last year's Eaton Fire. A new Caltech study published in the journal Science Advances found that at the blaze's height, roughly 7 million people were breathing lead levels about 80 times what's normal in the air—where concentrations...
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Los Angeles Wildfire Smoke Exposed Nearly 7 Million People to Lead Levels 80 Times Above Normal, Study Finds
A new California Institute of Technology study reveals that smoke from the devastating 2025 Eaton Fire contained sharply elevated concentrations of lead, arsenic and other ... The post Los Angeles Wildfire Smoke Exposed Nearly 7 Million People to Lead Levels 80 Times Above Normal, Study Finds first appeared on [your]NEWS.
Caltech Study Finds Toxic Metals from Eaton Fire
Smoke from the Eaton Fire had a sharply different chemical makeup from typical wildfire smoke, with toxic-metal levels spiking while homes and vehicles burned, according to a Caltech study published Wednesday. Researchers estimated that nearly 7 million people in the Los Angeles metropolitan area were exposed to 24-hour lead concentrations 80 times higher than typical […]
A California wildfire in January 2025 created toxic smoke that blanketed 7 million people. A Caltech study found lead concentrations 80 times higher than normal from burning homes and vehicles.
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