After LA's wildfires, firefighters show high levels of toxic metals in their blood

As the Los Angeles wildfires raged, thousands of firefighters responded to fight them.

They’ve been dubbed heroes by many for their efforts to save homes and lives, spending days in smoke-drenched areas surrounded by ash and debris. Even with their protective gear, first responders breathed in toxic chemicals from things like burning cars and equipment during these urban wildfires.

But now we’re getting an early look at some of the cost of that work. Researchers from the L.A. Fire Health Study, which is tracking short- and long-term effects from the blazes, found an alarming increase of toxic metals in some firefighters’ blood.

The concerning findings

Before a group of 20 Northern California firefighters joined the fight against the Eaton and Palisades flames, they got their blood tested for a study because researchers knew these fires could be different.

Then, they were tested again about five days after the fires. Their blood tests were compared to a control group of firefighters who fought only forest fires — and the results were shocking.

Los Angeles County firefighters spray water on a burning home as they battle the Eaton Fire on Jan. 8 in Altadena.

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Justin Sullivan

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“ We were surprised to find that the blood of the L.A. firefighters, at least preliminarily, had five times higher lead and three times higher mercury,” said Dr. Kari Nadeau, a member of the study’s health outcomes team from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The research is part of a 10-year endeavor to monitor health and environmental changes, which launched recently. The paper has been preliminarily accepted to the journal Nature Medicine, but the findings won’t be fully public for a while.

Why the early release?

Researchers are sharing the preliminary results earlier than normal to help Angelenos understand the potential health consequences of the fires.

“ It’s so critical to be able to look at things over time and to be able to tell people in real time how they’re doing,” Nadeau said. “ We actually give out and present data in real time to try to help the community have action.” 

She said the early notice gives firefighters time to seek treatment, such as with  chelation therapy, which can bind to metals in the blood and take them out of the system.

Firefighters already face high cancer risks. But with prolonged mercury or lead exposure, they could be more vulnerable to brain and nervous system problems, according to the California Department of Public Health, as well as lifelong reproductive and heart issues.

Researchers will track changes over time.

What’s next?

L.A. Fire Health Study is looking into health outcomes for multiple groups.

Nadeau said they’re adding more firefighters and expanding testing. They’ll be using a newer style of screening called exposomics,  which allows them to take a very small amount of material and test it for hundreds of things at once.

One of the questions they want to learn about is whether firefighting gear reduces risk, so they’re working with the L.A. Fire Department to collect things like blood, skin and saliva samples.

“ When there’s another fire in L.A., [we’ll] test again the same people and see if there’s an accumulation of these toxins or whether or not they go away over time,” she said.

How to get involved

Beyond first responders, L.A. Fire Health Study is also assessing the general public. They have pregnancy cohorts, children and adults where they’re looking at outcomes in both personal health and at home.

Residents can also be proactive. Nadeau said they’re willing to go to homes to test for chemicals, as well as do blood tests if the group has the capacity and funding. You can reach out through their website’s contact form.

“ I’d like to make sure that people see science is helping them in a real way — not just science for science’s sake. It’s science for people’s sake,” she said. “We want to bring the most innovative science to your doorstep and to help people manage through these fires.”

The L.A. County Public Health Department is also offering free mobile lead blood testing for a limited time. You can find dates and locations here.