"New research from our team of epidemiologists at USC and UC Irvine shows that blowing dust is impeding the lung growth of children in the region - especially those living closest to the Salton Sea."
"As the lake's water sources diminish because of water use agreements regarding the Colorado River, and as this region gains more industrial activity from proposed lithium extraction, air pollution is likely to only worsen."
"The largest consumer of Colorado River water, Imperial County's irrigation district, agreed in 2003 to forgo billions of gallons of water every year to support growing urban areas - a plan that went into full effect in 2018."
"Satellite images show rapid expansion of exposed lakebed as the water has receded, with one estimate projecting an increase in windblown dust by 40 to 80 tons per day."
The Salton Sea, once a vibrant resort area, is now a drying and toxic landscape. Research indicates that dust from the exposed lakebed is harming lung development in children, especially those near the lake. The lake's water sources are diminishing due to agreements on Colorado River water use, leading to increased air pollution. The Imperial County irrigation district's decision to reduce water flow has exacerbated the situation, exposing more dry lakebed and increasing dust levels significantly. Local low-income Latino communities feel neglected in discussions about these environmental issues.
Read at Los Angeles Times
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]