The LA County Public Health Department provided a final free community blood test event on Friday, screening victims of the January fire, potentially causing lead exposure.
Elevated lead levels have been found in burn scar soils in Eaton and Palisade, but community testing so far shows that levels of lead contamination in residents are very low.
Friday’s event will be held from 9am to 4pm at the Altadena Community Center at 730 E. Altadena Drive. Residents affected by the wildfire will continue to be eligible for a free blood lead test at Quest Diagnostic Lab by the end of the year by calling (800) 524-5323.
Of the more than 1,500 people screened at previous community events, only seven of those screened at previous community events have obtained test results on 3.5 micrograms of federal centers’ 3.5 micrograms of blood lead references for disease control and prevention, according to the county’s Department of Public Health.
Nevertheless, the department continues to encourage wildfire survivors to take advantage of this free opportunity, as lead exposure is a well-documented health hazard.
Children are particularly vulnerable to lead poisoning due to their nervous system development and the tendency to play close to the ground. Intoxication can lead to delayed development, difficulty learning, and other serious medical conditions such as kidney damage and heart disease. Pregnant women exposed to leads are at increased risk of preterm birth, death, miscarriage and giving birth to low birth weight babies.
Concerns about lead exposure stem from research that burned fires, particularly fires and urban areas, that clean urban areas, burn fires that burn plastics, electronics and synthetic materials, but release a significant amount of toxic metals into an environment that remains long after the flames have gone out.
Tests commissioned by the county earlier this year found that 36% of soil samples collected with Eaton burning scars had levels above state health standards of 80 milligrams of lead per kilogram of soil. In the southwest of the Eton Fire Area, between 70% and 80% exceeded lead levels. There was no evidence of widespread lead contamination in the Pallissard Burn Zone of the Pacific Ocean. However, authorities have reported isolated “hot spots” of heavy metals such as arsenic.
Times has performed its own sampling on 40 properties, Altadena and Pacific Palisades. This found that two of the 10 restored Eaton area sites still exhibit lead levels more than three times the standard.
Los Angeles County has allocated $3 million from the previous lead paint settlement fund to promote soil testing for homeowners within a mile of Eton Scar. The program is free for residents to check their eligibility and check detailed soil collection instructions on the department’s Soil Testing Program website.
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