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Kimberly Prather, Ph.D.

@kprather88

Jan 26

The science/research landscape (at least in the US) has evolved so much since I began. It used to be about forming a hypothesis and exploring it—you might be right, you might be wrong. You'd design the best experiment to test it. Often in science, being "wrong" (1/)

helps us end up learning so much more and possibly changing a longstanding "belief"-referred to as a paradigm shift. Now you get called out for being wrong and called all kinds of names by those (non-scientists) who your hypothesis/finding feel inconvenienced. (2/)

It's a really sad time as it has become difficult to talk to anyone about our best ideas/thoughts because there are "two sides" now even in science. If you say you are trying to understand the reason for the differences, people will immediately classify you as the problem. (3/)

Read 6 tweets

Kimberly Prather, Ph.D.

@kprather88

Jan 13

Getting questions about LA -- the air looks really clean right now. That is because the PM levels (which scatter light) are very low (the air is being pushed out to sea). However, air toxins are still present from the burning of structures and synthetic materials. More...(1/2)

The AQ index being reported says "Good"--that is based on a handful of criteria pollutants like ozone and NOx (and PM). There are literally thousands of other gases present in the air right now which will react away and become more dilute over time. Stay safe. (2/2)

Current AQI readings with areas of fires marked in red:

Read 5 tweets

Kimberly Prather, Ph.D.

@kprather88

Oct 28, 2024

Sad to see a few surfers and couple of weak writers saying I was alarmist during Covid and now again w/ high H2S levels in air. Alarmist? Really? How about thank you for helping you and your family stay safe. Yes I still would not go in the ocean with raw sewage. Not a chance.

Further..yes we have since shown that bacteria from the polluted ocean/river water can become airborne. No that dumb woman was not wrong then or now.

pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.10…

It is a battle between just ignoring idiots who clearly don't read the scientific literature versus speaking up because you're concerned their idiocy confuses others. I care a lot about the public--and these dudes clearly do not. Yes, a reporter from the LA Times (1/2)

Read 4 tweets

Kimberly Prather, Ph.D.

@kprather88

Sep 11, 2024

In my 32 years, I have never been asked to share unpublished raw data before we publish it. We were concerned about the dangerously high levels of hydrogen sulfide, so we chose to share our validated preliminary results so SD county health could exercise the precautionary (1/)

principle and immediately protect ALL people being exposed. All public health officials are supposed to do whatever it takes by any means necessary to protect public health once they are aware of potential high risk. The public has been sounding the alarm for years. (2/)

@SDCountyHHSA has known about these odor complaints for years and continued to ignore the residents. Our data just validate what the public has been saying. Now @SupNoraVargas recent excuse is us not sharing the "raw data". First, no one has asked. Second, we will share it (3/)

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Kimberly Prather, Ph.D.

@kprather88

Sep 11, 2024

This is the "hot spot" we have identified in Imperial Beach where turbulence in the river releases extensive odor and river spray aerosols containing viruses, bacteria, and other pollutants. The foam extends from this point all the way to the ocean. Residents told me (1/2)

the area the "river" (better name is raw sewage discharge) runs thru "looks like a war zone". People who have lived here all their lives feel neglected. As they tell their stories they have tears in their eyes. Not one that I have met has not told horrific health stories (2/)

related to breathing this toxic soup. Within an hour of being here, I typically get a headache even when the smell is not present. I invite @SupNoraVargas or anyone from @SDCountyHHSA who feel this air is "safe to breathe" and "you can't get sick by breathing it" to come (3/)

Read 12 tweets

Kimberly Prather, Ph.D.

@kprather88

Sep 10, 2024

Today, @SupNoraVargas held an emergency press conference claiming the air in South Bay SD is safe. Yesterday, I presented our findings at a presser showing continuous, multi-day measurements of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) well above the CARB ambient hourly standard of 30 ppb (1/8)

—indicating unsafe air quality. Vargas’s claim directly contradicts not only our calibrated, validated hydrogen sulfide (H2S) data but also the numerous health complaints from South Bay residents, including migraines, respiratory issues, and (2/8)

GI problems. It’s deeply concerning that a public official trusted by the community to protect their health would make such a misleading statement based on an unverified set of measurements from an unknown location and device with no critical details (where? how long? (3/8)

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Kimberly Prather, Ph.D.

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Kimberly Prather, Ph.D.

Kimberly Prather, Ph.D.

Kimberly Prather, Ph.D.

Kimberly Prather, Ph.D.

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