The number of survivors of Palisades and Eaton Fire depends on: 80 milligrams of lead per kilogram of soil.
Under this focus, California was historically considered safe arenas enough for families to rebuild and move home after a fire. State scientists say that there is a remarkable risk because children with neurological problems of bullets who accidentally inhale, absorb their skin and eat while playing abroad.
in A new paper on FridayHarvard’s environmental health researchers argue that it is not strict enough. Scientists claim that the health standard for the state does not depend on sound science and about 55 milligrams per kilogram of soil (also referred to “parts per million”) instead.
“We ask these questions every day, like every other world …” Is it safe for my children? “Joseph Allen, a leader of the newspaper and professor of the Faculty of Public Health at Harvard University, who works with fire survivors through Fire Los Angeles Health Study Research program. “I can’t look at someone in the eye anymore, know what I know about these models, and tell them yes.”
However, other soil and health researchers said it is better for the discussion limited to artistic scientific papers, with few effects on the survivors of fires that wonder whether their property is safe.
This is what you should know:
Why is a strict standard?
Lead can cause negative health effects on almost any level of exposure, and therefore scientists in the California toxic control department have put their health standard in lead in residential soil by starting first with a goal: the standard must prevent children from losing the intelligence point due to exposure to lead.
To answer this, the department uses a computer model, advanced, and is estimated at the amount of lead that may enter the body of a child playing in dirt, primarily by eating dirt by mistake at their hands.
After that, the bulk part that actually entered the body makes it in the bloodstream.
From there, DTSC is estimated that 1 microgram of lead per decilter of blood leads to a loss of intelligence point.
By drilling through DTSC leaves that define how to calculate 80 mg/kg standard, researchers at Harvard University have identified three issues.
First, they point out that the standard comes from an old version of the section, Leadspread 8. When DTSC re -calculated the number with updated Leadspread 9, they got 70 mg/kg, but they decided that the difference would not significantly affect the intelligence rate.
Harvard University researchers argue that DTSC has no strong foundation for this assumption.
Second, Harvard scientists warn that the expected model depends on anxiously on other assumptions. For example, the model determines the percentage of leadership that enters the body ends in the blood based on a 1983 study that searches for children who consumed the formula polluted by bullets.
It is a completely different position from the soil, as Harvard University scientists argue, and even a slight transformation of this percentage can give a more strict result of about 55 mg/kg. The same applies if the DTSC is using a higher estimate of the amount of dirt, on average, a child manipulates daily.
Finally, researchers at Harvard University note that lead causes harm not only in the nervous system – whose accounting rate scale is trying to calculate – but also for bones, kidneys and heart. Not all children have the same risks. Children with other health conditions may be more sensitive, as well as children who are two years old compared to 6 -year -old children.
“This model happens in a vacuum,” said Lindsey Borgartett, chief science official at the Harvard Center for the developing child and newspaper author. “But children … live in the context of their development environment, as they have a number of different exposes and experiences, whether they are positive or negative.”
DTSC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
What does fire survivors mean in the hope of moving home?
Many researchers in soil and environmental health say that the debate should not be very important to fire survivors.
Looking at every case of uncertainty in lead modeling – and the wide range of sensitivity that different children may have based on their health conditions and the extent of their play in dirt – many researchers say that the concerned population should focus on their own risks and think about lead levels as “much less than the standard”, “near the standard”, and “much higher than the standard” instead of the aura above differences in Numbers.
For example, the higher levels of the soil may not be much about the coverage of a new concrete institution. The levels close to the standard may not concern the home yard without children if the residents are not thirsty and always take their shoes when entering the house.
On the other hand, even low levels of soil in an area that a two -year -old child loves in mud can pose an unacceptable danger to the resident.
Seth John, a professor of Earth Sciences at the University of Southern California, noted that although various lead assumptions may lead to a much lower standard, the opposite is also true.
John also indicated that the standard of the Federal Environmental Protection Agency is higher at 200 mg/kg – which decreased from 400 mg/kg for play areas and 1600 mg/kg for other residential areas just one year ago. California has not adopted its current level until 2009.
Harvard University scientists note that this declining trend in the standard was due to the new flag that shows that children are more sensitive to driving than previously believed. They say their update is 55 mg/kg is the same reason.
The evaluation and analysis of the USC pollutant to the project team in the (clean) neighborhoods, which works with John to test after fire soil around the Los Angeles Province, said 43 % of the property they tested exceeding the standard of 80 mg/kg, while 57 % exceeded 55 mg/kg.
How can the survivors of the fire stay in safety?
John also argued by discussing the distraction of standard restrictions from the simple steps that the residents can take to protect themselves and their children.
USC clean He continues to provide free soil test For all residents of Los Angeles Province – Thank you partially Fireyid financing. The Ministry of Public Health in Los Angeles County is It also provides free soil test For residents in selected areas inside and bottom of the wind from the scarf burning Iton fire.
Also serve the section Microscopic blood test (As most insurances do) through Quest Labs for anyone interested in exposure.
Soil researchers say that the most effective way to treat polluted soil is that the upper layer is to start and replace it with fresh soil. If the residents cannot withstand a complete abrasion, just adding fresh soil to polluted soils can protect the population from pollution.
Even without treatment, there are many ways that the population can reduce exposure. The most direct is by reducing soil contact. For children, this may mean going to clean the gardens to play in dirt. For adults, this may mean wearing gloves at gardening.
To avoid continuous exposure at home, residents can routinely wash their hands, stop their shoes when entering the house, wiping pets after playing in the yard, and investing in air purification devices to remove any contaminated dust.