Rutgers Study: Urban Wildfire Smoke Can Carry More Than Soot
Rutgers reported on a new study finding that smoke and ash from the Eaton and Palisades fires carried a chemical mix associated with burned manufactured materials, not just vegetation. Researchers found toxic metals, polycyclic aromatic compounds, VOCs, and PFAS in the ash and smoke samples, while noting that standard PM2.5 readings can understate risk because they measure how much particulate matter is in the air, not what is in it. Samples collected at a Pasadena residential site about 2.17 miles from the Eaton Fire showed that ultrafine particles made up a large share of the particle mass, with some metals and BTEX compounds elevated above normal urban background levels. For fire survivors, the study reinforces why WUI fire contamination needs chemical testing and cleanup standards, not just ordinary air-quality readings or visual inspection. There are still no established state or federal thresholds for indoor contamination in standing homes, and no dedicated state or federal funding for soil remediation and recovery in the Eaton or Palisades fire impacted communities.