Toxic Tuesdays

In October 2021, residents of Carson, California began smelling odors and experiencing dizziness, headaches, and nausea. The odor was identified as being hydrogen sulfide, and its concentration in the air remained above California’s air quality standards for three months. (CHEJ has previously written about hydrogen sulfide and its health effects here). The government concluded the hydrogen sulfide came from firefighting chemicals used to extinguish a warehouse fire in September 2021. The county government distributed air purifiers and provided hotel rooms for temporary relocation, but many residents felt like the response wasn’t fast or substantial enough. Importantly, Carson is a diverse city with one of the highest pollution burdens in California, making residents particularly vulnerable to health effects from disasters like this one.

A recent study in the journal Environmental Health conducted 6 focus groups with 33 members of the Carson community. It uncovered valuable information about how the community experienced the government response to this disaster and what we can learn from it. It found 5 themes that emerged from these focus groups:

• Breakdowns in communication between institutions of authority and residents. Participants agreed that they didn’t know the source of the odor and received little information about it from responsible agencies. There was not even common understanding of which agencies were responsible. When residents contacted agencies themselves to get information they were often dismissed or ignored. This led to many receiving information from unofficial sources, but they weren’t sure if that information was accurate. Without clear and accurate information, participants felt abandoned and powerless. Spanish-speaking participants in particular said they felt ignored and left in the dark.
• Institutions downplaying residents’ concerns. Throughout the disaster, residents reported nausea, headaches, dizziness, nose bleeds, trouble sleeping, and stomach problems. However, they felt that local news, government agencies, and healthcare providers downplayed the risks and dismissed their health problems. This disparity between their lived experience and response from institutions led to participants feeling gaslit, causing them to lose trust in these institutions.
• Stress of the unknown impacts of the odors on health. Many participants explained how the disaster and lack of information led to severe stress and fear in addition to the health effects of the odor. Some are experiencing long-term physical and mental health effects.
• Efforts to build community power. The lack of information and transparency from institutions made some residents build their own power through research, information sharing, networking, and activism. Participants described doing research themselves on the health effects of hydrogen sulfide exposure because government agencies didn’t provide that information. They shared this research and county response information in social media groups, homeowners associations, local community organizations, and other social networks. Spanish-speaking participants said they were unaware of the social media community groups and mostly received information from neighbors, highlighting how different communities within Carson experienced the disaster response differently. Participants agreed that community leaders emerged through this process who pressured local leaders to take action. They expressed pride and gratitude for the community power and relationships they built.
• Long-term impacts. Many participants expressed that this experience made them lose trust in local institutions including news, government, and healthcare. They felt that issues of race, class, and the power of polluting industries in Carson led to the lack of response. Many agreed that they now have increased awareness of odors, pollution, and environmental justice issues.

Other communities that have experienced environmental disasters may recognize the experiences of residents in Carson, California. While it may be a common experience for communities, it’s not often something described in scientific studies. This study helps make researchers, public policy experts, and decision makers aware of the problem and the long-term effect it has on communities.

As seen in Carson, the absence of transparent information and community engagement breeds distrust of institutions, which has broad implications for societal stability and health. But Carson also demonstrates a path forward to strengthen communities: residents have the relationships, drive, and expertise to help protect each other. Government responses should harness this power to better protect public health. Current government responses to environmental disasters are often insufficient, and in imagining better responses systems we must center community needs, expertise, and engagement.