Transcript:
When wildfires hit Altadena, California this past January, Francois Tissot’s home survived mostly intact.
But he’s since found a new danger lurking in his home: lead, carried by the fire’s ash and dust.
Tissot, a geochemist at Cal Tech, says many homes in the area were built decades ago, and many older homes contain lead pipes or lead-based paint.
And exposure to lead can cause a range of health issues, including developmental problems in children.
Tissot: “When the fire happened, we knew lead would be released. We just didn’t know to what extent, how much would make it into the houses.”
Tissot and his colleagues have now been testing for lead both inside and outside of homes in the Altadena area.
They’ve found hazardous levels even relatively far from the fire’s edge.
Tissot: “You can be miles away from the fire, but if you’re along the fire plume, the smoke and the ash will transport the heavy metals all the way there.”
The team is making maps of their findings available online so more people can see where the researchers have found high levels of lead.
Tissot says people in those and other affected areas should clean their homes while wearing protective gear or hire professionals.
And he says local residents, especially children, should get their blood tested for lead.
Reporting credit: Ethan Freedman / ChavoBart Digital Media
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