The long-term health impacts from the LA wildfires are just becoming clear

"Last January, fires were raging across Los Angeles, smothering some 20 million people across the region in toxic smoke and ash. LA residents worried the air was toxic, the soil contaminated, and the water poisoned. Questions swirled about the health risks created by the burnsand there were few answers at hand from city, state, or federal leaders. Scientists from Los Angeles and around the country quickly scrambled into action as fires burned through the Pacific Palisades and Altadena."

"The priority, says UCLA physician and disaster researcher David Eisenman, was keeping people safe in the short term. But the fires also presented a moment to learn crucial missing information about the health effects of wildfires to help those affected and to better protect people's health from the inevitable next ones. "This won't be the last wildfire that Los Angeles sees," says Eisenman. "Part of the community recovery process is to learn from what we experienced." Researchers fanned out across the city to collect what data and samples they could. Doctors started thinking of ways to collect patient data to better understand the immediate and long-term health impact. They soon joined together to form a consortium that tied together 10 research institutions, developing a phalanx of research studies to explore some of the most pressing questions brought up by affected community members. Some questions were simple, but frustratingly hard to find answers to, like: what was in the smoke? Other questions, like those exploring the long-term health impacts, will take years to untangle. But answers are beginning to emerge."

Major wildfires in Los Angeles in January exposed roughly 20 million people to toxic smoke and ash, raising fears about contaminated air, soil, and water. Scientists and physicians mobilized to protect people immediately and to collect environmental samples and patient data for research on health impacts. Ten research institutions formed a consortium to coordinate studies on exposure composition, short-term injuries, and potential long-term effects. High wildfire smoke levels correlate with asthma, COPD, cardiovascular disease, and increased dementia risk. Some questions, such as smoke composition, can be addressed quickly; others, like chronic health consequences, will require years of follow-up. Initial findings are starting to emerge.

Read at www.npr.org