Airborne Lead and Chlorine Levels Soared as L.A. Wildfires Raged
The findings give new insight into the dangers of urban wildfires that burn plastics and other chemicals in homes and property.
At the height of the Los Angeles County wildfires, atmospheric concentrations of lead, a neurotoxin, reached 100 times average levels even miles from the flames, according to early detailed measurements obtained by The New York Times. Levels of chlorine, which is also toxic at low concentrations, reached 40 times the average.
The spiking levels underscore the added danger from wildfires when cars, homes, and other structures burn, researchers said. Lead is often present in paint and pipes used in older homes, while chlorine and other chemicals are generated when plastic melts or combusts.
Lead in L.A.’s air
Levels briefly but dramatically topped EPA long-term limits.
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Hiroko Tabuchi covers pollution and the environment for The Times. She has been a journalist for more than 20 years in Tokyo and New York. More about Hiroko Tabuchi
Mira Rojanasakul is a Times reporter who uses data and graphics to cover climate and the environment. More about Mira Rojanasakul
More on the Southern California Wildfires
L.A. Mayor’s Leadership Test: Mayor Karen Bass, a longtime state and federal lawmaker, was seen as a pragmatic leader before the fires. But many Los Angeles residents are looking for something bolder at the moment.
It All ‘Starts with a Fire’: Claire Tabouret, a French artist in Los Angeles, was chosen to create new stained glass windows for Notre-Dame. She never expected fires to shatter her sense of safety in California.
Fresh Clues in Eaton Fire: Moments before flames erupted below transmission towers near Altadena, Calif., high-voltage power lines faulted in the area, new sensor data shows.
How L.A. Can Protect Itself From Wildfires: Around the world, other communities are experimenting with ideas that Los Angeles could borrow as it rebuilds from disastrous wildfires.
Will a Different City Emerge?: The city faces a choice: remake itself into something largely familiar or take a bolder path and emerge as a new metropolis.
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