A new study from the University of Colorado Boulder reveals that smoke from the Marshall Fire lingered in homes for weeks after the disaster, posing potential health risks to residents.
Nearly three years after the devastating Marshall Fire destroyed over one thousand homes in Colorado, a research study conducted by a team from the University of Colorado Boulder seeks to answer some of the questions raised by the disaster.In the days following the fire, concerns emerged among residents who still had homes standing about the impacts of smoke on their health and homes.
These concerns prompted CU Boulder to assemble a team of engineers, chemists, geographers and other scientists to begin analyzing the data as soon as possible.Joost de Goux, a CU Boulder chemistry professor and one of the main researchers, was helping set up measuring equipment inside of a Superior home within ten days of the fire. “What was unique about the Marshall fire is it happened right next to Boulder, Colorado,” noted de Goux. “We had all these scientists with all their equipment that could start making these measurements.”The homes acted like sponges, soaking up smoke from the fire and slowly releasing it back inside. “We had expected that these things would be gone within hours from these homes, but in fact, it took days to weeks,” de Goux explained. “That was a surprise and something that we still don't quite understand.”The numbers showed that the concentration of several pollutants was much higher than normal at the onset of the study. The pollution inside the homes was comparable to urban air in Los Angeles in the 1990s, but the pollutant percentage dropped down to 20% of the initial value in about five weeks.The pollutants they were analyzing are called volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can be toxic. Before the air went back to normal, the team explored practical ways to mitigate VOCs. “We open windows and that makes the air inside cleaner,” said de Goux. “We also built these do-it-yourself air cleaners that have activated carbon, and they were also very effective at making the air cleaner
Marshall Fire Smoke Vocs Pollution Health
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Fire on Chicago's SW side sends smoke plumes into air; road closures in placeSome roads were closed and two people were hospitalized after a large fire at an occupied building on Chicago's southwest side early Tuesday and sent flames and…
Read more »
Marshall Ramsey: Black SmokePulitzer Prize-winning Nonprofit News
Read more »
Crews work to seal off mine, limit hazardous smoke from Carbon County coal fireCrews recently began work on an abandoned mine fire in Carbon County which put out plumes of hazardous smoke into the air within the last few months.
Read more »
Smoke visible from miles from fire in remote East County near DulzuraAccording to Cal Fire, the East County blaze has already charred 30 acres and officials have made a major callout for firefighting resources.
Read more »
Photos: Scenes of flames and smoke from the Franklin Fire in MalibuThousands of people were under evacuation orders due to the Franklin Fire in the hills of Malibu. See photos of the fire.
Read more »
Marshall Fire Smoke Study Reveals Long-Lasting PollutionA new study from the University of Colorado Boulder reveals that smoke from the Marshall Fire, which destroyed over 1,000 homes in Colorado, lingered inside homes for weeks, posing potential health risks.
Read more »