As warm days approach, many Angelenos want to spread their toes into the sand again. You may find unwelcome sights along the coastline. The beach from the devastating January fire still sits dark, ash sediment.
But residents don’t need to fear the remains of fine ashes covered in swirling and washed ash with sand, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said.
Tests conducted by the LA Regional Water Quality Control Committee found that burnt silt contains no wildfire-related chemicals at levels considered dangerous to human health.
“Samples of almost 12 beaches along the LA County coastline have been tested for polychlorinated biphenyls and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metals, chemicals found in spills after wildfires,” Beach and Harbor County said in a news release. “These results were compared to California and US environmental standards for residential soils, and all results were within their values or background concentrations.”
The deposits themselves are not chemically dangerous, but beach fans are still warned to beware of physical debris that can lurk in the sand and water. This can include sharp objects such as burnt branches, twisted metal, broken glass, and rusty claws, which can cause injury.
There are no plans to scrape ash sediment as part of the wildfire debris removal process, as it can cause coastal erosion and destroy marine habitats. The beach ecosystem naturally recovers as the tide and weather gradually break down and washes away the dark silt.
Earlier this week, the public health department lifted the final wildfire-related marine water consultation, declaring the beaches in the burned area from Las Flores Beach to Santa Monica State Beach once again safe for swimming. The decision was based on seawater testing conducted by the Water Quality Control Board, which also discovered wildfire-related substances at levels dangerous to human health.
Heal The Bay, a non-profit environmental organization, will soon release results from its own testing of sand and Ashy deposits, its communications director Jillian Marshall told The Times.
In a March 28 update on environmental surveillance efforts, the group said it was “cautiously optimistic that chemical contamination from the fires no longer poses a major risk to beach fans.”
Heal The Bay ingested seawater samples throughout the Malibu Paradise Cove to the Palos Verdes Peninsula in late January, testing 116 contaminants.
The organization released the results of its tests last month, saying it “is much better than expected, reducing fear about the impact of contaminated spills on human health in areas where the fire occurred.”
The results showed normal concentrations of heavy metals that showed no chemical pollution at levels that pose a risk to human health, but could have long-term effects that are harmful to marine ecosystems.
Healing the bays found higher concentrations of aluminum, iron, selenium and manganese than drinking water standards. These metals can damage cells, disrupt biological processes, and impair the reproductive and immune function of marine animals.
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