{"id":23783,"date":"2025-03-19T16:50:15","date_gmt":"2025-03-19T23:50:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?p=23783"},"modified":"2025-04-03T13:39:42","modified_gmt":"2025-04-03T20:39:42","slug":"free-wildfire-soil-testing-for-lead-in-los-angeles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/free-wildfire-soil-testing-for-lead-in-los-angeles\/","title":{"rendered":"Free lead soil testing by USC Dornsife\u00a0researchers helps L.A. residents after wildfires"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n    \n                                          \n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-hero \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-hero\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/03\/clean_px_top-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/03\/clean_px_top-1920x1080.jpg 1920w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/03\/clean_px_top-1280x720.jpg 1280w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/03\/clean_px_top-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  alt=\"Man with a face mask and a dustpan and brush collects ash near a curb in front of a burned-out home\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"image-caption\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  Professor of Earth Sciences Seth John collects lead samples in the street in front of the remains of a home that burned in the Eaton Fire in Pasadena, Calif. (Photo: Courtesy of Seth John.)\n\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n  <div class=\"text-wrapper\">\n          <nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n        <ul>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\">News<\/a><\/li>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\/?category=health\">Health<\/a><\/li>\n                  <\/ul>\n      <\/nav>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title\">\n\n    \n  <h1>Free lead soil testing by USC Dornsife\u00a0researchers helps L.A. residents after wildfires<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n          <div class=\"subtitle\">\n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  Anyone affected by the L.A. fires can drop off or mail in soil samples for testing as part of Public Exchange\u2019s community-focused project to assess post-fire lead contamination.\n\n\n<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    \n           <strong class=\"author-field\"><span >By<\/span><a href=\"mailto:communication@dornsife.usc.edu\">Ileana Wachtel<\/a><\/strong>\n    \n          <span class=\"post-date-field\">March 19, 2025<\/span>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--social-share \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--social-share\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n    <span class=\"a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list\" style=\"line-height: 32px;\">\n      <span class=\"title\">\n        Share\n      <\/span>\n                        <a class=\"a2a_button_copy_link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#copy_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Link\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_copy_link\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m7.43475275 9.52380952-2.17490843 2.26076008c-1.08745421 1.058837-1.68841575 2.518315-1.68841575 4.0350275 0 1.5167124.60096154 2.9475732 1.68841575 4.0350274 1.058837 1.0874543 2.51831502 1.6884158 4.03502747 1.6884158 1.44087681 0 2.80427251-.5423678 3.86936601-1.5289606l.1656615-.1594552 2.2321428-2.2321428-1.6311813-1.6311813-2.2321429 2.26076c-.6581959.658196-1.5167124 1.0016026-2.43246332 1.0016026s-1.7742674-.3434066-2.43246337-1.0016026c-.65819597-.6581959-1.00160257-1.5167124-1.00160257-2.4324633 0-.8547009.2991453-1.6595442.87416905-2.2981957l.12743352-.1342677 2.23214286-2.2321429zm6.88661855-.40736607-5.26116068 5.26116075 1.61881868 1.6188186 5.2611607-5.2611607zm1.3837569-5.54501488c-1.4408768 0-2.8042725.54236779-3.869366 1.52896062l-.1656615.15945513-2.23214282 2.23214286 1.63118132 1.63118132 2.2321429-2.23214286c.6581959-.65819597 1.5167124-1.00160256 2.4324633-1.00160256s1.7742674.34340659 2.4324634 1.00160256 1.0016026 1.51671246 1.0016026 2.43246337c0 .85470089-.2991453 1.65954419-.8741691 2.29819559l-.1274335.1342678-2.2321429 2.2321428 1.5739469 1.5739469 2.2321429-2.2321428c1.0874542-1.058837 1.6884157-2.5183151 1.6884157-4.03502751 0-1.51671245-.6009615-2.94757326-1.6884157-4.03502747-1.058837-1.08745421-2.518315-1.68841575-4.0350275-1.68841575z\" transform=\"translate(-3 -3)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Copy Link<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_facebook\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#facebook\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Facebook\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_facebook\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m23.9512 6h-16.9024c-.57923625 0-1.0488.46956375-1.0488 1.0488v16.9024c0 .5792362.46956375 1.0488 1.0488 1.0488h9.10024v-7.34768h-2.46772v-2.87584h2.46772v-2.11508c0-2.45404 1.49872-3.79012 3.68828-3.79012.7389668-.00263323 1.4775241.03516995 2.21236.11324v2.56348h-1.51392c-1.18788 0-1.4174.56544-1.4174 1.39612v1.8316h2.84772l-.37088 2.87584h-2.47684v7.34844h4.83284c.5792362 0 1.0488-.4695638 1.0488-1.0488v-16.9024c0-.57923625-.4695638-1.0488-1.0488-1.0488z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" transform=\"translate(-6 -6)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Facebook<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_twitter\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#twitter\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"X\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_twitter\">\n              <svg version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\"\n\t y=\"0px\" viewBox=\"0 0 30 30\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 30 30\" xml:space=\"preserve\" width=\"19\" height=\"19\">\n<path fill=\"#000\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M14.5,16.2l-0.8-1.1l-6.3-9h2.7l5.1,7.3l0.8,1.1\n\tl6.6,9.4h-2.7L14.5,16.2L14.5,16.2z M16.9,13.4l7.4-8.7h-1.8l-6.5,7.5L11,4.8H5l7.8,11.4L5,25.2h1.8l6.8-7.9l5.5,7.9h6L16.9,13.4\n\tL16.9,13.4z\"\/>\n<\/svg>\n\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">X<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_linkedin\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#linkedin\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Linkedin\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_linkedin\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m25 21.4220779c0 1.974026-1.6038961 3.5779221-3.5779221 3.5779221h-11.84415582c-1.97402598 0-3.57792208-1.6038961-3.57792208-3.5779221v-11.84415582c0-1.97402598 1.6038961-3.57792208 3.57792208-3.57792208h11.84415582c1.974026 0 3.5779221 1.6038961 3.5779221 3.57792208zm-14.5584416-12.21428569c-.98701295 0-1.60389606.61688311-1.60389606 1.48051949-.12337663.8636364.49350649 1.4805195 1.48051946 1.4805195.987013 0 1.6038961-.6168831 1.6038961-1.4805195 0-.86363638-.6168831-1.48051949-1.4805195-1.48051949zm1.3571429 12.70779219v-8.6363636h-2.83766234v8.6363636zm10.2402597 0v-4.9350649c0-2.5909091-1.3571428-3.8246753-3.3311688-3.8246753-1.4805195 0-2.0974026.8636363-2.4675325 1.4805194v-1.2337662h-2.8376623v8.6363636h2.8376623v-4.9350649c0-.2467532 0-.4935065.1233767-.7402597.1233766-.4935065.6168831-.987013 1.4805194-.987013.987013 0 1.4805195.7402597 1.4805195 1.974026v4.564935z\" transform=\"translate(-6 -6)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">LinkedIn<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_bluesky\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#bluesky\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Bluesky\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_bluesky\">\n              <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\">\n                <path fill=\"#00000\" d=\"M12 10.8c-1.087-2.114-4.046-6.053-6.798-7.995C2.566.944 1.561 1.266.902 1.565C.139 1.908 0 3.08 0 3.768c0 .69.378 5.65.624 6.479c.815 2.736 3.713 3.66 6.383 3.364c.136-.02.275-.039.415-.056c-.138.022-.276.04-.415.056c-3.912.58-7.387 2.005-2.83 7.078c5.013 5.19 6.87-1.113 7.823-4.308c.953 3.195 2.05 9.271 7.733 4.308c4.267-4.308 1.172-6.498-2.74-7.078a8.741 8.741 0 0 1-.415-.056c.14.017.279.036.415.056c2.67.297 5.568-.628 6.383-3.364c.246-.828.624-5.79.624-6.478c0-.69-.139-1.861-.902-2.206c-.659-.298-1.664-.62-4.3 1.24C16.046 4.748 13.087 8.687 12 10.8\"  fill-rule=\"evenodd\" \/>\n              <\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Bluesky<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_email\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#email\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"E-mail\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_print\">\n              <svg height=\"12\" viewBox=\"0 0 18 12\" width=\"18\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m8.14285714 9.42857143c-.17142857 0-.34285714 0-.51428571.08571428l7.28571427 6.34285719c.3428572.2571428.6857143.2571428.9428572 0l7.2857142-6.34285719c-.0857142-.08571428-.2571428-.08571428-.4285714-.08571428zm-1.28571428 1.11428567v.1714286 8.5714286c0 .6857143.6 1.2857143 1.28571428 1.2857143h14.57142856c.6857143 0 1.2857143-.6 1.2857143-1.2857143v-8.5714286c0-.0857143 0-.0857143 0-.1714286l-7.2 6.3428572c-.7714286.6857143-1.8857143.6857143-2.6571429 0z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" transform=\"translate(-6 -9)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Email<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                  <\/span>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n \n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p><a href=\"https:\/\/sustainability.usc.edu\/assignment-earth\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-16067\" src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/07\/AE_News-Rubric-150x150.png\" alt=\"On a gold background, &quot;Asgmt Earth&quot; appears inside a black circle and &quot;USC&quot; inside a small, white circle that slightly overlaps the black circle.\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/07\/AE_News-Rubric-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/07\/AE_News-Rubric-500x500.png 500w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/07\/AE_News-Rubric-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/07\/AE_News-Rubric-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/07\/AE_News-Rubric-320x320.png 320w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/07\/AE_News-Rubric.png 1250w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>In the wake of January\u2019s wildfires, Los Angeles residents are dealing with a new danger: toxic lead contamination in their soil. The fires burned through thousands of older buildings \u2014 many coated with lead-based paint \u2014 raising concerns about heavy metal-laden ash settling in neighborhoods.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the risks, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/environment\/story\/2025-02-15\/fema-defends-fire-cleanup-strategy-soil-testing-backlash\">federal <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/environment\/story\/2025-02-15\/fema-defends-fire-cleanup-strategy-soil-testing-backlash\">agencies<\/a> have opted not to test soil after removing debris and topsoil from burned areas. That leaves homeowners, businesses and schools responsible for covering the cost of testing soil on their properties.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/publicexchange.usc.edu\/\">Public Exchange<\/a>, based at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, has launched a community-driven effort to fill the gap. Through its <a href=\"https:\/\/publicexchange.usc.edu\/la-wildfire-soil-testing\/\">Contaminant Level Evaluation &amp; Analysis for Neighborhoods (CLEAN) <\/a>project, the team invites L.A. County residents to submit soil samples from the burn areas \u2014 <em>at no cost <\/em>\u2014 for analysis by experts from USC Dornsife\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/earth\/\">Department of Earth Sciences<\/a>. The goal: determine whether lead levels pose a health risk.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe initiative aims to quickly identify potential environmental hazards like lead left by these fires,\u201d said <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/profile\/josh-west\/\">Josh West,<\/a> professor of Earth sciences and <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/environmental-studies\/\">environmental studies<\/a> at USC Dornsife. \u201cWith the Army Corps skipping post-cleanup soil testing, there\u2019s a lot of uncertainty. Data will be key to protecting health and determining next steps,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<h2>Early findings from wildfire soil testing ease concerns<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_23788\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23788\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/03\/clean_px_instorya.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-23788 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/03\/clean_px_instorya-500x239.jpg\" alt=\"Graphic map shows area of Pasadena where Eaton Fire burned and indicates lead levels in various sample locations\" width=\"500\" height=\"239\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/03\/clean_px_instorya-500x239.jpg 500w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/03\/clean_px_instorya-768x368.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/03\/clean_px_instorya.jpg 980w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-23788\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The L.A. 2025 Fires Heavy Metal Legacy interactive map shows locations and levels of lead contamination in the area of the January wildfires. (Image: Public Exchange.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Lead, a toxic metal that poses serious health risks, is especially dangerous to children, as even small amounts can impair brain development. \u201cThe fires in Los Angeles have raised alarms about potential contamination in both immediate burn zones and the surrounding areas,\u201d said <a href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/faculty-search\/erika-garcia\/\">Erika Garcia<\/a>, assistant professor of population and public health sciences at <a href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/\">Keck School of Medicine of USC<\/a>, who is advising on the project.<\/p>\n<p>Preliminary testing by USC Dornsife scientists in February found that lead levels were highest in the burn areas of the Palisades and Altadena and decreased farther away from these zones. Still, most samples \u2014 even those collected in the burn zones \u2014 showed lead concentrations <a href=\"https:\/\/jaylabucla.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/hunghernandezcirajimenezelstonjay_pbparksla_2018.pdf\">comparable<\/a> to those found in many urban areas, including downtown L.A.<\/p>\n<p>In some locations affected by the Eaton Fire, where approximately 9,000 structures burned, roadside dust exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency\u2019s (EPA) current screening level of 200 parts per million (ppm) for residential soil. (In January 2024, the EPA <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/newsreleases\/epa-strengthens-safeguards-protect-families-and-children-lead-contaminated-soil\">lowered<\/a> the threshold from 400 ppm to 200 ppm in areas where children play.) Nearly all post-fire soil samples from Altadena and the Palisades would have met the old standard.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe were relieved to find that the levels in and around the burn zones, while above the updated EPA standards, were still within the range found elsewhere in the city,\u201d said <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/profile\/sam-silva\/\">Sam Silva<\/a>, assistant professor of Earth sciences, civil and environmental engineering and population and public health sciences. \u201cWe were expecting much higher rates.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"video-embed\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How to Test Your Soil for Lead After LA Fires\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/53ssBAk0Qxs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<h2>Free wildfire soil testing for residents<\/h2>\n<p>Residents can drop off soil samples at designated <a href=\"https:\/\/publicexchange.usc.edu\/la-wildfire-soil-testing\/\">collection sites<\/a> in Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica and Altadena or mail them directly to USC researchers.<\/p>\n<p>In the future, researchers hope to add more collection sites and capacity to screen for additional hazardous substances, including arsenic and other contaminants.<\/p>\n<p>Test results will be available within one to two weeks, depending on submission volume. Anonymized results will be posted on a public Google Sheet, and each participant will receive a unique identification number to access their results. The findings will also appear on an interactive map showing sample locations and lead concentrations across affected areas.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBeing able to identify areas where more in-depth investigation is needed arms residents with data to more effectively advocate for further research or support for their communities,\u201d said <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/profile\/seth-john\/\">Seth John<\/a>, associate professor of Earth sciences.<\/p>\n<p>USC Dornsife\u2019s free soil testing program is intended as a first step in assessing potential risks. It does not replace assessments conducted by private environmental remediation experts or meet state and federal regulatory compliance requirements.<\/p>\n<p><em>For sample collection guidelines and drop-off locations, visit the Public Exchange <a href=\"https:\/\/publicexchange.usc.edu\/la-wildfire-soil-testing\/\">website<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n  \n        \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-related-stories \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-related-stories\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Related Stories\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n                  <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/usc-dornsife-public-exchange-welcomes-climate-leader-with-deep-la-policy-experience\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >USC Dornsife Public Exchange welcomes climate leader with deep LA policy experience<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n              <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/food-insecurity-still-high-in-la-county-but-who-it-affects-is-changing\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >Food insecurity remains high in L.A. County, but who it affects is changing<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n              <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/post-wildfire-lead-testing-clean-project-grows-in-and-beyond-los-angeles\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >USC Dornsife\u2019s post-wildfire lead testing initiative grows in and beyond L.A. County<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n            <\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Anyone affected by the L.A. fires can drop off or mail in soil samples for testing as part of Public Exchange\u2019s community-focused project to assess post-fire lead contamination.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":23784,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26,15],"tags":[63,159,80],"class_list":["post-23783","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-sustainability","tag-community-engagement","tag-earth-sciences","tag-public-exchange"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Free lead soil testing by USC Dornsife\u00a0researchers helps L.A. residents after wildfires<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Those affected by L.A. wildfires can submit soil for testing courtesy of USC Dornsife Public Exchange\u2019s project assessing contamination\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/free-wildfire-soil-testing-for-lead-in-los-angeles\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Free soil testing for lead helps L.A. residents after wildfires\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Those affected by L.A. wildfires can submit soil for testing courtesy of USC Dornsife Public Exchange\u2019s project assessing contamination\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/free-wildfire-soil-testing-for-lead-in-los-angeles\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"USC Dornsife News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uscdornsife\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-03-19T23:50:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-04-03T20:39:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/03\/clean_px_top.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1150\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Michael Liu\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@uscdornsife\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@uscdornsife\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/free-wildfire-soil-testing-for-lead-in-los-angeles\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/free-wildfire-soil-testing-for-lead-in-los-angeles\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Michael Liu\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/d03084ed5319ed7575c96017879a7447\"},\"headline\":\"Free lead soil testing by USC Dornsife\u00a0researchers helps L.A. residents after wildfires\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-03-19T23:50:15+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-04-03T20:39:42+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/free-wildfire-soil-testing-for-lead-in-los-angeles\/\"},\"wordCount\":14,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/free-wildfire-soil-testing-for-lead-in-los-angeles\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/03\/clean_px_top.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"community engagement\",\"earth sciences\",\"public exchange\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Health\",\"Sustainability\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/free-wildfire-soil-testing-for-lead-in-los-angeles\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/free-wildfire-soil-testing-for-lead-in-los-angeles\/\",\"name\":\"Free soil testing for lead helps L.A. residents after wildfires\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/free-wildfire-soil-testing-for-lead-in-los-angeles\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/free-wildfire-soil-testing-for-lead-in-los-angeles\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/03\/clean_px_top.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-03-19T23:50:15+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-04-03T20:39:42+00:00\",\"description\":\"Those affected by L.A. wildfires can submit soil for testing courtesy of USC Dornsife Public Exchange\u2019s project assessing contamination\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/free-wildfire-soil-testing-for-lead-in-los-angeles\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/free-wildfire-soil-testing-for-lead-in-los-angeles\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/free-wildfire-soil-testing-for-lead-in-los-angeles\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/03\/clean_px_top.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/03\/clean_px_top.jpg\",\"width\":2000,\"height\":1150,\"caption\":\"Man with a face mask and a dustpan and brush collects ash near a curb in front of a burned-out home\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/free-wildfire-soil-testing-for-lead-in-los-angeles\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Free lead soil testing by USC Dornsife\u00a0researchers helps L.A. residents after wildfires\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/\",\"name\":\"USC Dornsife News\",\"description\":\"USC Dornsife news and events\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#organization\",\"name\":\"USC Dornsife News\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/USC-Dornsife-Cardinal-Black-on-White-RGB.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/USC-Dornsife-Cardinal-Black-on-White-RGB.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":330,\"caption\":\"USC Dornsife News\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uscdornsife\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/uscdornsife\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/uscdornsife\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/USCCollege\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/school\/uscdornsife\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/d03084ed5319ed7575c96017879a7447\",\"name\":\"Michael Liu\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/16962c8d3900280cb2e47f931ab45f9c2432ea07c167e9c00a6c2f8a0ec3d61f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/16962c8d3900280cb2e47f931ab45f9c2432ea07c167e9c00a6c2f8a0ec3d61f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Michael Liu\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/author\/liumk\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Free lead soil testing by USC Dornsife\u00a0researchers helps L.A. residents after wildfires","description":"Those affected by L.A. wildfires can submit soil for testing courtesy of USC Dornsife Public Exchange\u2019s project assessing contamination","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/free-wildfire-soil-testing-for-lead-in-los-angeles\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Free soil testing for lead helps L.A. residents after wildfires","og_description":"Those affected by L.A. wildfires can submit soil for testing courtesy of USC Dornsife Public Exchange\u2019s project assessing contamination","og_url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/free-wildfire-soil-testing-for-lead-in-los-angeles\/","og_site_name":"USC Dornsife News","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uscdornsife","article_published_time":"2025-03-19T23:50:15+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-04-03T20:39:42+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2000,"height":1150,"url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/03\/clean_px_top.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Michael Liu","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@uscdornsife","twitter_site":"@uscdornsife","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/free-wildfire-soil-testing-for-lead-in-los-angeles\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/free-wildfire-soil-testing-for-lead-in-los-angeles\/"},"author":{"name":"Michael Liu","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/d03084ed5319ed7575c96017879a7447"},"headline":"Free lead soil testing by USC Dornsife\u00a0researchers helps L.A. residents after wildfires","datePublished":"2025-03-19T23:50:15+00:00","dateModified":"2025-04-03T20:39:42+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/free-wildfire-soil-testing-for-lead-in-los-angeles\/"},"wordCount":14,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/free-wildfire-soil-testing-for-lead-in-los-angeles\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/03\/clean_px_top.jpg","keywords":["community engagement","earth sciences","public exchange"],"articleSection":["Health","Sustainability"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/free-wildfire-soil-testing-for-lead-in-los-angeles\/","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/free-wildfire-soil-testing-for-lead-in-los-angeles\/","name":"Free soil testing for lead helps L.A. residents after wildfires","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/free-wildfire-soil-testing-for-lead-in-los-angeles\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/free-wildfire-soil-testing-for-lead-in-los-angeles\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/03\/clean_px_top.jpg","datePublished":"2025-03-19T23:50:15+00:00","dateModified":"2025-04-03T20:39:42+00:00","description":"Those affected by L.A. wildfires can submit soil for testing courtesy of USC Dornsife Public Exchange\u2019s project assessing contamination","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/free-wildfire-soil-testing-for-lead-in-los-angeles\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/free-wildfire-soil-testing-for-lead-in-los-angeles\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/free-wildfire-soil-testing-for-lead-in-los-angeles\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/03\/clean_px_top.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/03\/clean_px_top.jpg","width":2000,"height":1150,"caption":"Man with a face mask and a dustpan and brush collects ash near a curb in front of a burned-out home"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/free-wildfire-soil-testing-for-lead-in-los-angeles\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Free lead soil testing by USC Dornsife\u00a0researchers helps L.A. residents after wildfires"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/","name":"USC Dornsife News","description":"USC Dornsife news and events","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#organization","name":"USC Dornsife News","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/USC-Dornsife-Cardinal-Black-on-White-RGB.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/USC-Dornsife-Cardinal-Black-on-White-RGB.jpg","width":1000,"height":330,"caption":"USC Dornsife News"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uscdornsife","https:\/\/x.com\/uscdornsife","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/uscdornsife\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/USCCollege","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/school\/uscdornsife"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/d03084ed5319ed7575c96017879a7447","name":"Michael Liu","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/16962c8d3900280cb2e47f931ab45f9c2432ea07c167e9c00a6c2f8a0ec3d61f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/16962c8d3900280cb2e47f931ab45f9c2432ea07c167e9c00a6c2f8a0ec3d61f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Michael Liu"},"url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/author\/liumk\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23783","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23783"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23783\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24057,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23783\/revisions\/24057"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23784"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23783"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}