LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tracy Quinn recently traveled down the Pacific Coast Highway to evaluate the impact of the Palisades Fire on the coastline. The water’s edge was stained with ash, remnants of burned appliances and debris scattered along the shoreline. A layer of sludge covered the beach, and waves carried potentially toxic ash and debris into the ocean during high tide, leaving charred homes in their wake.
Quinn, the president and CEO of environmental organization Heal the Bay, expressed heartbreak at the sight of the devastation. Her team has observed ash and debris up to 25 miles south of the burn area near Los Angeles as crews work to clear hazardous materials from the wildfires. Researchers and officials are now focusing on understanding how the fires on land have affected the sea, given the presence of hazardous substances like pesticides, asbestos, plastics, lead, and heavy metals in the burnt debris.
The concern is not only about the immediate impact on water safety for surfers and swimmers, but also about the long-term effects on marine life and the food supply. The recent heavy rains in the Los Angeles region have heightened these worries, as runoff can carry contaminants and trash into the sea, posing additional risks.
The Surfrider Foundation’s water quality manager, Mara Dias, highlighted the potential for water contamination due to the smoke and ash carried by strong winds during the fires. Scientists have detected ash and waste up to 100 miles offshore, with the smell described as reminiscent of burning electronics rather than a pleasant campfire.
The risk of mudslides and debris flows in the burned areas poses a significant threat of further hazardous waste entering the ocean. Los Angeles County officials have implemented measures to prevent debris from reaching the beaches, but the long-term repercussions of the wildfires on marine ecosystems remain uncertain.
State and federal assistance is being sought to enhance beach clean-up efforts, prepare for storm runoff, and conduct testing of ocean water for potential toxins and chemicals, among other tasks. In addition to routine testing, state water authorities and other parties are conducting analysis for total and dissolved metals like arsenic, lead, and aluminum, as well as volatile organic compounds. They are also examining samples for microplastics, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) known to be harmful to human and aquatic life, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a group of synthetic chemicals with links to cancer in animals and other severe health implications. Although the manufacturing of PCBs is now prohibited, they were previously used in various products such as pigments, paints, and electrical equipment.
Recent chemical assessments of water samples by county public health officials did not indicate any significant health risks, resulting in the reclassification of one beach closure to an ocean water advisory. However, beachgoers were still cautioned against entering the water. Researchers, led by Dinasquet and her team, are diligently studying the dispersal patterns of potentially hazardous ash and debris in the ocean, tracking their depth, speed of sinking, and ultimate destination over time.
Forest fires can introduce essential nutrients like iron and nitrogen into the ocean environment, promoting the growth of phytoplankton and triggering positive ripple effects throughout the ecosystem. Conversely, the toxic ash from urban fires poses a grave threat, as confirmed by reports citing high levels of lead and asbestos in the ash residue. This poses risks not only to human health but also to marine organisms.
A major concern is the potential introduction of toxic pollutants from the fires into the food chain. Scientists plan to examine fish tissue for traces of heavy metals and contaminants, although it will take time to comprehend the broader ecosystem impact and implications for our food supply resulting from a large urban fire. Dias remarked on the existing pollution flowing from land into the ocean, emphasizing that disasters such as fires exacerbate the situation, compounding the challenges faced by marine ecosystems.
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