Monica Palta

Coop. Extension Specialist in Water Quality, Health, & Justice @UCANR Research Faculty @UCIrvine #UrbanEcology #WaterResources #Wetlands #ParticipatoryScience

[Monica Palta @MonicaMPalta]

Retaining this account but switching to primarily using https://t.co/MCYUFzfdCH. See you there!

[UCI Social Ecology @Social_Ecology]

Did you miss @WaterUCI’s first Speaking of Water Colloquium Series event of 2025? You can now watch @MonicaMPalta's full talk about nature-based solutions to urban water challenges on YouTube: https://t.co/we68MpZW7x @WaterUCIrvine

[Andrew Whelton 🔥💧❄️🌪 @TheWheltonGroup]

UPDATE: Water utilities have been working hard to investigate damage and restore water service since the #wildfires in the #LosAngeles area. I was contacted by impacted water utilities and spoke with the California State drinking water agency. I encourage everyone to consider kindness and compassion for the water utility workers who are working night and day to help their communities recover.

As of now, I do not know what specific chemicals the state is telling utilities to test for, how testing is being conducted, or what the test results show, for any water system.

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As water testing results are collected, it is important to compare them against what the world knows about fire and drinking water contamination.

Below is the list of chemicals that have been found in prior fire-contaminated drinking water systems. This was developed based on input and experiences from wildfire impacted utilities in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, and New Mexico.

Bolded, red chemicals exceeded a short- or long-term drinking water exposure limit.
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Benzene only drinking water testing would place communities at risk.

Last year California enacted a law that required "benzene" testing of public drinking water after wildfires (AB 541 https://t.co/1ULkeI25Fk). According to the law, water utilities are not required to look for any other chemical. So, if other fire-related chemicals were present and posed a risk, they wouldn't know unless they did more than what the state required at a minimum.

After prior fires, sometimes chemicals that were found exceeded short-term drinking water exposure limits when benzene was not present.

Other tips....

No one should claim testing for [insert random number] of chemicals in drinking water as appropriate. The number of chemicals you test for is irrelevant unless specificity is provided.

You must screen for specific fire-related chemicals to know if a health risk does or does not exist.

More info here https://t.co/xFeU3Wahcu

[Water Hub @water_hub]

The #LAFires triggered unsafe drinking water notices in Pacific Palisades, Pasadena, & Altadena. 📊 53.3M Americans live in fire zones, with 60% of drinking water at risk. Swipe to learn more from the #WECRCaucus➡️

[UCI Social Ecology @Social_Ecology]

Urban water quality, health & justice specialist @MonicaMPalta of @ucanr discusses and analyzes nature-based solutions for urban water challenges as part of @WaterUCI's Speaking of Water series at 2 p.m. Wed., Jan. 22, via Zoom. RSVP with QR code or click https://t.co/x5wxnTj8um

[UCI Social Ecology @Social_Ecology]

The first @WaterUCIrvine 'Speaking of Water' series speaker of 2025 is @MonicaMPalta, the first @UCANR Cooperative Extension specialist to be based at @UCIrvine. Her talk on urban water challenges begins at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14, via Zoom. https://t.co/KGPveBZams

[Monica Palta @MonicaMPalta]

@JorgeRH2O @calacademy @Stanford @stanfordjrbp Congratulations!! So proud of you :)

[Mitch Zuckerman 🫐 @ec0p0lis]

Here is a great #PostDoc @UofMaryland If you are a woman and/or a minority PhD in #urban #environments, ecology, #resilience, & sustainability esp. linked to #environmental #justice, President's Postdoc Fellowship Program is taking applications Let's Talk! https://t.co/RITZJ903We

[Monica Palta @MonicaMPalta]

Fascinating panel discussion and thought-provoking artwork at What's On Tap: LA's Water Story...Source to Spigot at El Tranquilo Gallery today! Thank you @edithbdeguzman for inviting me, and for co-curating such a cool exhibit!

[Pam Kan-Rice @UCANRpam]

Water is a critical California issue. We’re thrilled to have @MonicaMPalta join the @ucanr water experts 🎉

[Monica Palta @MonicaMPalta]

I am thrilled to be joining the @ucanr team as the first UC CE Specialist @ucirvine! I will be conducting applied academic research and community engagement around water quality, health, and justice in Southern California and can't wait to get started! @UCIEngineering @UciUrban

[Ag&Natural Resources @ucanr]

Welcome, @MonicaMPalta! She is a UC Cooperative Extension specialist in urban #water quality, health and justice. 1st UCCE Specialist @UCIrvine.

[Jaan Pärn @JaanParn]

Interested in modelling #N2O and #peatlands? Come work as postdoc with our #Landscape #Biogeochemistry and #Ecotechnology Group @unitartu, Estonia!

More details on the call and @PeatlandN2O project https://t.co/drdUd616oX

[Xiaoli Dong @gamala05]

Looking for a PhD program and interested in dryland vegetation spatial patterns and their responses to climate change? I am now accepting PhD applications at @ucdavis! @yu___zhang #CarrieHavrilla #RachataMuneepeerakul and #YufangJin on @NSF project: https://t.co/Frcds8VxOf

[Monica Palta @MonicaMPalta]

Congratulations @JorgeRH2O! So well deserved - proud of you mijo ❤️

[Diana Macias @TreeDrought]

Felicidades @JorgeRH2O on being recognized for your amazing outreach and curriculum! He was awarded ESA’s 2023 Eugene P. Odum award for excellence in Ecology Education and I couldn’t agree more.

[Scripps Institution of Oceanography @Scripps_Ocean]

The SCUBA DIVERsity Fellowship program at Scripps is accepting applications for the Fall 2023 cohort.🤿 This program is designed to create a more inclusive and supportive diving community. Meet the first cohort of fellows and learn more in this thread ⤵️ https://t.co/7U9NxSHnmz

[AGU Hydrology H3S @AGU_H3S]

We are deeply saddened by the loss of Tom Meixner. Our hearts go out to @HAS_UArizona , Tom's family, and everyone in the Hydrology community.
In honor of Tom, we will be postponing River Cup today and instead ask you share photos and memories of Tom here. Rest in peace, Tom.

[Dr. Sara Winnike McMillan @EbowSara]

Following Sackett v EPA oral arguments today. #Wetlands protect water quality downstream, store floodwaters and provide so many other ecosystem services. While the legal arguments are confusing, the science is clear.

[Monica Palta @MonicaMPalta]

@JorgeRH2O @ESA_org @NSF @stanfordjrbp @ESA_SEEDS @EstienCesar @brandoyster_ @lmariecology @HallOfNature Great work and excellent poster!

[Lauren Kinsman @LKCBiogeochem]

I'm thrilled to share a new article by a fantastic team about how freshwater salinization impacts not only the ecology, but also the biogeochemistry, of wetlands, especially understudied urban wetlands: https://t.co/lHN381GlW7