Moss Landing fire fallout: Concentrations of heavy-metal nanoparticles found nearby

MOSS LANDING — New testing found higher than usual toxic metal particles in the marsh soils of Elkhorn Slough estuary, contributing the rise to the recent fire at the Moss Landing Battery Plant.

Research scientists at San Jose State University’s Moss Landing Marine Laboratories detected “unusually high” concentrations of heavy-metals microscopic particles in marsh soils, including nickel, cobalt and manganese. Levels were roughly 100 to 1,000 times higher than normal.

“These nanoparticles are used in cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries, commonly referred to as NMC, clearly connecting the occurrence of the heavy metals to airborne cathode material from the Vistra battery fire,” according to a press release.

A research team led by Ivano Aiello, marine geology professor and department chair of Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, have been analyzing the marsh soil, including the composition of major and trace elements in the days following the Jan. 16 Vistra Plant fire. The researchers regularly conduct soil and water testing at the estuary and used their baseline measurements from before the fire to compare it with recent findings.

“Those three metals are toxic,” Aiello told the Mercury News. “They are hazardous to aquatic life. We want to understand how they will move and interact with the environment, whether they will make it through the food web and at what level — from microbes to sea otters.”

The County of Monterey Health Department responded to the findings Monday, saying they are conducting their own research by analyzing soil and water samples and working with the state Department of Public Health, the Environmental Protection Agency and state epidemiologists.

“We are grateful for and recognize the importance of the environmental sampling and testing conducted by Dr. Ivano Aiello’s team and commend their diligence in reporting their results,” the statement from the county read. “Public health and environmental safety remain our top priorities, and we are committed to providing transparent, science-based updates to the community as we assess the findings in collaboration with our state and federal partners.”

Health Department officials say they will post their findings online when they are complete.

Aiello said he took samples from roughly 100 sites. He has studied the area for more than 10 years. Analyzing the soils with an electron microscope at Moss Landing labs, he said the spiked levels of battery metals were found in the top few millimeters of soil, not lower levels. He said he took measurements on Jan. 21, 23 and 24 and compared them to soil samples taken at the same locations before the battery plant fire.

“The concentrations went from tens of parts per million to thousands of parts per million — 2 to 3 orders of magnitude,” he said. “It’s a lot.”

Aiello said it is important that testing continue for weeks, months and years on the site to track how the metals change and move. It rained this past weekend, he noted, and he planned additional testing to see the impacts.

High levels of heavy metals such as nickel, cobalt, and manganese “bioaccumulate,” or move up the food chain from plants and microbes into fish, and larger animals that eat the fish. At high levels they can cause neurological harm, reproductive damage and other problems. It isn’t clear yet, Aiello said, whether the levels have impacted the health of any fish or wildlife.

“We know these particles are toxic,” he said. “They are heavy metals. Whether they are posing a hazard right now, we don’t know. But we need to know. I live here. I work here. Let’s figure it out.”

State Assemblywoman Dawn Addis, supported by County Supervisor Glenn Church recently called for a full independent investigation into the cause of the fire and for the plants to remain offline until that investigation is complete.

Church, who also formed an ad-hoc committee to partner with neighboring counties, said it’s important to remember that some places have more concentrated deposits than others, “hot spots.”

“These (results) are very disturbing numbers,” Church said. “This is from some of the top environmental scientists in the world, and I believe them.

“The big thing is everyone needs to be careful, if you feel sick go see your doctor,” Church added. “We are in uncharted territory.”

The Herald’s Dave Kellogg and Paul Rogers from the Bay Area News Group contributed to this report.