The drying Salton Sea and asthma: A perspective on a “natural” disaster

Abstract

The Salton Sea is a drying salt lake in an arid region with high aerosol particulate-matter concentrations. This region is plagued by a high incidence of asthma, attributed in part to the aerosols surrounding the Sea. But the connection between the Sea and asthma may be more than simple calculations of dust concentrations. While dusts might contain toxic substances that impact the lungs of residents, the complex dynamics related to the environmental degradation of the Salton Sea may be generating additional toxins relevant to public health, such as microcystins produced by algal blooms. This collection of pollutants may be driving inflammatory responses in the lungs of residents through multiple mechanisms. As such, examination of the full range of potential environmental triggers of lung inflammation promises to yield a better understanding of key mechanisms driving the high incidence of asthma in local residents. Our discussion provides a perspective aiming to re-frame the issue in the context of the historical theory of “miasma” and the linkages between environmental change and health impacts.

Ecological transitions at the Salton Sea: Past, present and future

“…As the Sea recedes, thousands of acres of previously submerged sediments are being exposed. Given the dry and windy conditions in the area, there is concern that these dried lakebeds (playa) may become a source of highly toxic dust (Biddle et al 2022;Parajuli and Zender 2018).…”

The Salton Sea: An introduction to an evolving system and the role of science

“…This "playa" has been identified as a source of airborne particles that may worsen regional air quality and exacerbate respiratory illness and asthma rates that are already far above state averages (Bahreini et al 2021;Parajuli and Zender 2018). Furthermore, as it continues to decay and decline, the Sea itself may become a more significant source of airborne toxins that negatively impact human health (Biddle et al 2022 andFreund andMaltz et al 2022, this issue).…”

Lessons in accumulated rage and rebellious scholarship with Mike Davis

“…For environmentalists and community activists, the sudden interest in the Salton Sea created new opportunities for ecological and economic restoration. Residents and researchers have long argued that deteriorating conditions at the Salton Sea pose a public health threat to the mostly Latino communities that live near the toxic body of water (Biddle et al, 2022). Meanwhile, developers have used efforts to clean up the Salton Sea as an opportunity to restore the lake back to its leisure heyday of the 1950s and 1960s, when Frank Sinatra and other Hollywood stars visited regularly.…”