With over 16,000 homes and buildings damaged or destroyed in the Eaton and Palisades fires, the toxic ash produced by those fires could make its way into the soil and into fruits and vegetables that are grown in that dirt.
Thursday, January 30, 2025 7:30AM
With over 16,000 homes and buildings damaged or destroyed in the Eaton and Palisades fires, the toxic ash produced by those fires could make its way into the soil and into fruits and vegetables that are grown in that dirt.
With over 16,000 homes and buildings damaged or destroyed in the Eaton and Palisades fires, the toxic ash produced by those fires could make its way into the soil and into fruits and vegetables that are grown in that dirt.
“I’m very concerned about metals and toxic pollutants in that ash so the ash has to be removed before anyone can resume their normal activities in that area. It’s very toxic,” said Sanjay Mohanty, a UCLA associate professor. “It can cause many diseases people will develop over years. There’s a risk.”
Dr. Nichole Quick, the chief medical advisor at the LA County Public Health Department, said that testing the soil at burn sites can be part of phase two remediation.
“There can be contaminants in that soil and so when individuals are interacting right now with soil that has not been remediated at a burn site and or that ash and soot,” said Dr. Quick. “We want people to be taking precautions.”
If you didn’t lose your home, you could still be at risk. Testing your soil is an important part of the recovery process and there are companies you can send a sample to through the mail to have it tested.
“If the concentration is high, the first thing to do is take the top 6 inches of soil. Dig it and displace it before you put new soil. That will prevent any chronic exposure to these metals,” said Mohanty.
If we get more rain, that will also help remove toxic pollutants from the soil. Experts are encouraging the testing of soil at public places as well, including playgrounds as toxins can make their way into sand.
“Lead is very toxic for kids because it goes to the human brain and prevents the development of the brain.It stays in the brain,” said Mohanty. “It’s important for kids not to play in the soil highly polluted with lead. There’s no set limit for asbestos. A person can develop cancer from asbestos by exposing themselves even once in their life. Some people may not develop that for years.”
As far as fruit and vegetable trees, there are separate companies like El Segundo’s Wallace Laboratories that specialize in that type of soil testing.
“The orange should be able to be washed off. I imagine most of the smoke damage can be washed off. It will not be picked up by the plant yet. It will be in the future,” said Garn Wallace, the owner of Wallace Laboratories. “Plants will not thrive if there’s heavy metals in the soil. Plant growth will be stunted.”
If your home did not burn and the soil testing process won’t be handled by the federal, state, or local governments – you can still have your soil tested at a facility like Wallace Laboratories.
If there are pollutants, you can remove the soil yourself. You’re encouraged to wear PPE, keep it from going airborne and dispose of it at the correct hazardous waste site, not into your green bins or compost piles.
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With over 16,000 homes and buildings damaged or destroyed in the Eaton and Palisades fires, the toxic ash produced by those fires could make its way into the soil and into fruits and vegetables that are grown in that dirt.
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