Friday, April 4, 2025

Caltech to Host Webinar Series Pulling Focus on Lead Contamination Following LA Fires

[Eddie Rivera / Pasadena Now]

Researchers to share findings from environmental samples collected during recent blazes

In the wake of the 2025 Los Angeles fires, Caltech is launching a webinar series to explore the environmental impacts of urban blazes, beginning with a session focused on lead contamination.

The first installment of “Conversations After the Fires” will take place Thursday, April 10, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., featuring Caltech geochemist Francois Tissot and graduate students Merritt McDowell and Isaac Aguilar. They will be joined by Christine O’Connell, assistant professor of Biological Sciences at Chapman University.

The researchers will discuss their analysis of ash, soil, and water samples collected during the fires to determine lead levels released into the environment. The session will be moderated by Caltech science writer Lori Dajose.

“When the 2025 Los Angeles fires broke out, Caltech researchers on campus and at JPL, which Caltech manages for NASA, jumped into action, collecting and analyzing data as soon as flames erupted,” Caltech said in the event announcement.

The free webinar requires registration and can accommodate the first 3,000 attendees via Zoom, with additional viewers directed to YouTube. To register,visit https://caltech.zoom.us/webinar/register/3617436263696/WN_RWiMevgST8aueXgbNuDrSA.

The series is presented by the Caltech Science Exchange in partnership with the Resnick Sustainability Institute and the Linde Center for Global Environmental Science.