Both Eaton and Palisade burn utilities report detection of carcinogenic benzene in parts of the water system. State regulators recommend “don’t drink” or “don’t boil” notifications for utility issues.
The state is trying to balance safety with the need for usable water, but some scientists can pose risks by using water, even if they are not drinking or cooking. He said he warned that it was sexual.
Studies have linked long-term exposure to benzene via inhalation or ingestion to the development of blood cancers such as leukemia. Research also found that long-term exposure can cause anemia, which can cause patients to feel weak and tired. Low white blood cell count that debilitates the immune system. And the low platelet count leads to excessive bleeding and bruises.
So far, two of Altadena’s three customer-owned water utilities have detected carcinogens.
Lincoln Avenue Water Co. said it had taken more than 350 of the 296 samples analyzed so far in the results posted on the California Water Resources Control Board website. 31 times the acceptable level. Rubio Canyon Land and Water Asun. He said he needed more than 150 samples. Of the 100 posted so far, six have been contaminated beyond the condition limit, exceeding 190 times the height of the acceptable level.
Lincoln Avenue and Rubiocagnon both posted a list of the affected streets on their website.
Las Flores Water Co. – Infrastructure suffered severe damage and was unable to recover water pressure to a large strip of customers, not to mention the launch of comprehensive testing – in a request for comment They didn’t respond immediately.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Electricity said the water operator responsible for most of the areas affected by Pallisard had detected benzene. However, unlike Rubio Cañon and Lincoln Avenue, it does not list streets affected by the “do not drink” notification and has not yet been posted on the California Water Resources Management Board website.
LADWP said it is working on an online dashboard to help customers understand the test data. The utility tested water on 276 sites and originally found that 14 benzene levels exceeded acceptable limits. However, since then, LADWP has been able to reduce the number of high benzene sites to 8 by washing the water through the system.
The tolerance limits for contaminants in drinking water are set based on the risks polluted by decades of daily exposure. Scientists said there is little known about the potential health effects on extreme short-term exposures.
It is unknown how many people are currently running benzene and what levels of contaminated water are running, how many people are currently or how many people are currently.
Benzene is a common chemical in many materials in and around the house, including wood products, plastics, paints, and gasoline. When these materials burn, benzene enters the smoke. Also, once the water system loses pressure and starts draining completely, a fire hydrant that remains open in the destroyed home can inhale smoke into the pipes and fill the system’s blanks.
On January 8th, three customer-owned private water operators, Altadena (Lincoln Avenue, Rubiocagnon and Ras Flores), issued an order that “not use”; They advised residents to avoid tap water completely, as they were not sure what contaminants were in the water.
On the same day, LADWP issued a “boiled water” notification. This left the area under the evacuation order, but residents still managed to drink water.
“Boiled Water” notifications are the least restrictive of the four drinking notifications. It is designed to protect against pathogens such as viruses and bacteria that contaminate the water supply but can neutralize with high heat. The next level of “don’t drink” notification is because it is a dangerous contaminant to consume even if it boils.
Notifications that “don’t drink” or “don’t boil” are due to contaminants that not only ingest but also inhaled as particles that can enter the air when they boil. Finally, if a potential contaminant poses a risk when contacting the skin, a “do not use” notification is used.
The first warning issued on January 8th was preventative. No benzene or other contaminants were detected at the time. However, public health officials and utilities are rich given that benzene has been detected in water supply, including the aftermath of wildfires in other cities (such as fires in Northern California and camp fires, and fires in Colorado and Hawaii). I was paying attention. .
On January 10th, LADWP upgraded its “do not drink” notification and advised against drinking water even if it boils. And by the end of the following week, Lincoln Avenue and Rubiocñon will relax “don’t drink” and “don’t boil” notifications on the advice of state regulators in the drinking water sector, allowing residents to use the water. . For showers or other uses.
Eton and the Palisade Fire
The catastrophic fire killed at least 28 people, leaving over 18,000 buildings worth more than $275 billion, leaving a burn zone 2.5 times the size of Manhattan.
Current orders allow residents to use water in some capacity, but scientists say benzene can also enter the body through direct contact with the skin (but compared to inhalation and intake). (The amount absorbed by the sulfur is usually much lower).
How residents use tap water can make a difference in risk, experts say. Example: Washing your hands in cold water does not pose a risk of benzene exposure, said Gina Solomon, director of occupation, environment and climate medicine in San Francisco, California. On the other hand, taking long, hot baths, especially without rashes or soaking, means a more serious risk of absorption of chemicals.
For this reason, LADWP, Rubio Canyon and Lincoln Avenue all restrict hot water use, limit shower and bath time, use air drying environments in dishwasher, avoid using clothes dryers, and wash clothes with cold water. I advise residents about this.
However, science has not been completely resolved. Researchers have only actually identified benzene as a prominent post-wildfire drinking water contaminant following the 2017 Tubus fire, and some scientists say that using household water is a high risk. said there has not been enough research to confidently determine which risk is not.
“Now there are no exposure ratings conducted to determine the answers of chemical modeling, mathematical modeling, or [these] Questions said Andrew Welton, a professor of civil environmental engineering at Purdue University and a leading researcher in the field of water safety after fire.
California’s policy uses benzene as a whole as a kind of benchmark of contamination. The state is asking utilities to test for bacteria and benzene contamination, claiming that benzene is a good indicator of whether other contaminants may be present.
However, Welton et al. argue, emphasizing that this assumption is not supported by evidence. Previous fires point to the fact that other known carcinogens in the same family as benzene, called benzene (VOC), have been discovered in water systems even when benzene is not present.
LADWP, Rubio Cañon and Lincoln Avenue all said they are testing not only benzene, but also EPA-recommended complete VOC suites containing dangerous chemicals found after the Tubbs and CAMP fire.
In the meantime, experts say that before using tap water, anyone who gets burned should turn on all faucets and water supplies in their home and run for at least 10-15 minutes to flush the system. I’ll give you advice.
Also, while experts may want to be seeking peace of mind for a home water detection kit and filtration system, most kits are unable to test all the notable wildfire pollutants, and contamination If the level is unknown, he warned that filtration cannot guarantee safe water.
All Pacific Palisade and Altadena utilities said they are working as quickly as possible to restore drinking water without compromising safely. Detection of benzene did not predict when it would lift “no drink” or “no boil” notifications.
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