Researchers from the LA Fire HEALTH Study Consortium have had a busy spring with a number of new papers on the environmental exposures and health impacts of the LA wildfires being published in leading science journals. In addition, researchers have participated in symposiums and forums to share their findings with scientists at leading universities around the country. Below are some highlights from the last few months:

Symposiums and Events

On May 7th, UCLA’s Sustainable LA Grand Challenged hosted a 1-day symposium titled, Urban Firestorms: Risk and Resilience, featuring Dr. Kari Nadeau and Dr. David Eisenmann from the LA Fire HEALTH Study Consortium. The symposium’s goal was to build the roadmap for a more resilient American West in the face of dynamic and evolving disasters with a focus on how to pioneer new ways for universities to collaborate across disciplines, and with civic institutions and communities to create more impactful and responsive research.

On May 6th, Rutgers University held the 1st National Symposium on Wildfires and Their Impact on the Environment and Health. The symposium covered cutting-edge research on health impacts, examined effective mitigation strategies, and fostered partnerships to protect public health. Dr. Alika Maunakea and Ruben Juarez of the University of Hawaii joined to contribute to the conversation about the wildfires in Maui and Los Angeles.

On February 7th, LA Fire HEALTH Study consortium member, Cedars-Sinai hosted the 13th Annual Women’s Heart Symposium, in Santa Monica, bringing together leading cardiologists, researchers, and advocates for an inspiring deep dive into women’s cardiovascular health. The symposium focused on environmental toxins and the heart, including microplastics, “forever chemicals” (PFAS), wildfire smoke and contaminants, and what the latest research reveals about their effects on women’s cardiovascular health. Members of the LA Fire HEALTH Study Consortium from Cedars-Sinai discussed the impacts of wildfire contaminants on heart health.

In addition to the 1st Annual LA Fires Conference co-hosted by the UCLA Center for Health Climate Solutions and the LA Fire HEALTH Study, January 2026 held many events to commemorate the 1-year anniversary of the fires. USC hosted a student-led remembrance for the community. Participants of the Wildfire Youth Media Initiative hosted the event, which featured a panel discussion, student presentations, a potluck for attendees to bring in food from their communities, a display from local artists whose work was inspired by the fires.

Scientific Papers

Publishing scientific findings in peer-reviewed journals is a crucial step in the process of academic research. This process can take time, which is why this website has been dedicated to publishing preliminary data in the form of Data Briefs, to ensure that the general public has access to compelling information about potential environmental exposures in real-time, so that workers and families can take steps to mitigate risks.

However, a key part of the peer-reviewed journal process is inviting review and commentary from other experts in an academic field to ensure that the study results are accurate and are interpreted correctly. Peer review, “helps ensure that papers published in scientific journals answer meaningful research questions and draw accurate conclusions based on professionally executed experimentation.” (1)

Now that the immediate need for real-time exposure data has lessened due to the end of clean-up and debris removal in most areas, the study members have been focused on analyzing the troves of data collected in the weeks and months after the fires, and interpreting and then publishing those results in peer-reviewed journals. Here is a sampling of the papers that have been published so far:

Kleeman, M.J., Cappa, C.D., Green, P.G. et al. Airborne hexavalent chromium nanoparticles detected around cleanup zones for the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires. Commun Earth Environ (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-03591-z

G. Pei, P. Azimi, Z. Keshavarz, et al. Levels and Sources of Airborne Volatile Organic Compounds in Fifty Homes Following the 2025 Los Angeles Wildfires. ACS ES&T Air Article ASAP.  DOI: 10.1021/acsestair.5c00508. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsestair.5c00508

H. Chen, Q. Nie, Q. Yu, et al. Characterizing Postfire Fine and Ultrafine Particles in the 2025 Eaton Fire Burn Zone and Nearby Areas. Environmental Science & Technology Letters.  Published online: April 21, 2026. DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.6c00123. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.estlett.6c00123 

J. Ebinger, T. Huang, S. Joung, et al.  Emergency Encounters for Illness During and After the Los Angeles Wildfires. JACC. 2026 Feb, 87 (7) 797–800. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2025.10.079 

A. McDermott, In the wake of wildfires, toxic smoke is a lasting health concern. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 122 (42) e2527308122, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2527308122 (2025). 

R. Khalili, Y. Liu, Y. Xu, et al. Adverse Birth Outcomes Associated with Heat Stress and  Wildfire Smoke Exposure During Preconception and Pregnancy. Environmental Science & Technology 2025 59 (25), 12458-12471. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c10194. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.4c10194 

Y. Yao, D. Garcia-Gonzales, J. Li, et al. Indoor and Outdoor Volatile Organic Compound Levels during and after the 2025 Los Angeles Wildfires. Environmental Science & Technology Letters. 2026 13 (1), 70-75.  DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.5c00919. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.estlett.5c00919 

M.M. Johnson, A. Kaushik, O.A. Kline, et al. Immune impacts of fire smoke exposure. Nat Med (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-025-03777-6. 

E. Goralnick, K. Nadeau, R. Moyal-Smith, & A. Szema. Long-Term Health Implications of the Los Angeles Wildfires and Insights From Military Burn Pit Exposures. JAMA Intern Med. 2025;185(8):913–914. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2025.1819. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/ jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2835612 

A. Tilzey, L. Morgan, P. Azimi, et al. Water Quality after the 2025 Los Angeles Fires: Number of VOCs as a Robust Fire Indicator and Effective Remediation through Multiple System Flushes. ACS ES&T Water. Article ASAP. DOI: 10.1021/acsestwater.6c00097 https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsestwater.6c00097  

C. Schollaert, R. Connolly, L. Cushing, et al. Air Quality Impacts of the January 2025 Los Angeles Wildfires: Insights from Public Data Sources. Environmental Science & Technology Letters. 2025 12 (8), 911-917. DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.5c00486 
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.estlett.5c00486