Marine life in the Santa Monica Bay faces ongoing threats from heavy metals released in the water after January’s Palisades Fire, according to water-quality testing results reported Thursday.
Heal the Bay, an environmentally focused nonprofit organization, set up ten collection sites along the entire length of Santa Monica Bay and conducted water-quality tests in January and February.
Marine mammals, multiple fish populations and other species further down the food chain are at serious risk from elevated levels of beryllium, copper, chromium, nickel, lead and other harmful heavy metals and nutrients.
From the 116 known pollutants tested, silver, arsenic and zinc were also detected above average marine-health limits. The heavy metals can disrupt vital biological processes, damage cells, and impair reproductive and immune functions for marine life.
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Although the organization has not declared the water safe for human recreational contact, the results show that water quality at beaches around Los Angeles was much better than expected regarding human health impacts from polluted runoff in burn scar areas.
But metals can also be transferred through the food chain, which could inevitably impact humans, particularly when consuming seafood that has a bioaccumulation of metals in their systems, Heal the Bay said.
The concentration of metal is likely due to the heavy seasonal rains washed into the ocean from burned structures and land in the Palisades, Topanga and Malibu, according to Heal the Bay. The nonprofit is urging authorities to expedite the removal of burned structures and other fire debris from PCH as soon as possible.
“Every day that hazardous debris remains along the coast, more harmful contaminants flow into the sea,” said Tracy Quinn, President and CEO of Heal the Bay. “If we want to give our marine life a fighting chance, we need that debris removed as soon as possible.”
Heal the Bay reminds beachgoers to be careful about walking on the sand, which may contain sharp fire-related debris like nails and broken glass and for now, recommends avoiding beaches within the fire-impacted areas.
