Dr. Mike Kleeman from UC Davis was in LA last week, conducting follow-up measurements of air quality in the Eaton and Palisades Fire areas. Their goal was to determine if chromium-6 (Cr6) levels have fallen now that debris removal activity has slowed.

In August, new research found that Cr6 levels during March, April, and May were elevated in the fire-affected areas of the Palisades and Altadena, prompting concern among residents.

Dr. Kleeman and his LA Fire HEALTH Study colleagues, Dr. Michael Jerrett and Dr. Yifang Zhu of UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, submitted their findings to a journal for peer review, but in the meantime notified public health officials and released the preliminary results to the public as a LA Fire HEALTH Data Brief.

The majority of the Cr6 that was detected in the spring was in the form of nanoparticles of less than 56nm. Nanoparticles are tiny particles that cannot be seen by the human eye. They are about 1,000 times smaller than a strand of human hair.

Due to the extremely small size of nanoparticles, special scientific instruments are needed to analyze the air in order to detect whether Cr6 nanoparticles are still present. Dr. Kleeman and his team hope to have follow-up results of current Cr6 levels in the next 2 weeks.