Wildfire Ash in California Poses Health Risk

The United States Geological Survey, USGS, has done a study that reveals that the ash left behind after the California wild fires may pose some health risk to local residents.

A number of wild fires burned out of control in recent months, destroying hundreds of homes, commercial buildings, and businesses. Naturally, the fires are not selective, and burn away toxic materials, spreading airborne pollutants for miles and miles. Satellite imagery showed the plumes and smoke trails covering hundreds of miles of territory during the fires. However, even when the fire goes out, it leaves behind a great amount of ash. This is what concerns scientists at the USGS.

Two areas were studied, residential developments burned by the Grass Valley fire and by the Harris wild fire. The ash there has caustic alkali components, and it also may have higher levels of arsenic, copper, zink and lead. Even a fire in a wild area can cause low levels of such metals, but in a residential area, the levels are higher because of all the human made products that wind up burning: roofing tiles, chemically treated woods, insulation, plastics, chemically treated furniture, fluorescent lighting fixtures and bulbs, household products (like those toxic ones stored under so many sinks), vehicles, and a variety of other threatening materials used by businesses and industries.

Local governments have been issuing warnings and instructions about how to avoid exposure to these things.

When it rains and the ash is washed downstream and into surface drinking water storage facilities, the quality of that drinking water will decline. Local fish will also be adversely affected when the runoff reaches streams, rivers and lakes, raising the alkalinity of their habitat.

26 other sites were also tested, areas that were hit by the Harris, Grass Valley, Canyon, Witch, Ammo and Santiago fires. Researchers are interested in comparing the results taken from tests done of the ash and the local soil.

Similar tests were conducted after the 9/11 attacks in New York City. There was controversy in that case when the government downplayed health risks associated with airborne pollutants.

Hurricane Katrina spread a variety of sediments and pollutants, and the USGS studied their distribution and concentration.

It is important to get scientific data in these types of disasters so that it can be distributed to first responders and the general public.

Citizens worried about exposure to the ash should contact their local governments for information on preventive and protective measures that can be taken, and for the risk level in their area.

Wild Fire Ash, USGS