Resounding questions still echo through L.A. after the Eaton fire tore through Altadena last winter, devastating the community and destroying homes and businesses: how safe is the soil? How safe is the air?
An upcoming presentation at the Earnest C. Watson Series at Caltech Lecture Series will examine the issue of lead contamination in the wake of the tragic blaze from an expert's perspective.
"Lead Contamination: An Old Foe Rises from the Ashes of the Eaton Fire," is planned for January 21 at the 103 year-old lecture series, led by Francois Tissot, professor of geochemistry and a Heritage Medical Research Institute Investigator, at The Beckman Auditorium.
Tissot is the leader of a team of Caltech and Heritage Medical Research Institute investigators conducting vital research on the subject, facing the foe of lead contamination as it bears its threats to Angelenos once again.
Tissot's research builds on a legacy of Caltech's investigations into the subject of lead contamination, specifically the work of Caltech geochemist Clair Patterson and his 1965 findings on lead contamination stemming from leaded gasoline, canned food solder, paints, and insecticide and the wide-ranging damage it was doing to everyday Americans.
Patterson's reports were alarming, controversial, but world-changing, pushing for greater regulation on dangerous lead-bearing products and uniting and bolstering an environmental movement, eventually helping to push for the success of 1970's Clean Air Act.
At the Ernest C. Watson Lecture Series talk, Tissot will discuss Patterson's work and legacy, while detailing his own team's findings and research surrounding the Eaton fire.
As wild fires portend to be a bigger issue for city and suburban residents alike, he'll offer recommendations on how we can best prepare and defend ourselves from the harsh aftereffects of tragic fires. Tissot will also lead a community Q&A to answer audience questions.
The lecture and Q&A build on Caltech's more than 100-year legacy of the Ernest C. Watson Lecture Series, renowned for putting community members in the room with Caltech's most cutting-edge scientific researchers to explore topics that are important, or even just fascinating to them.
A true community event, guests have the chance to mingle with food, drink, and music, while taking in interactive displays that further illuminate the topics being discussed. The nights typically end with a Q&A in which guests can ask the foremost questions on their minds.
A true legacy series with endless discoveries and full of stimulating information, join Caltech for this event on January 21, starting at 6 p.m. with pre-show activities and doors opening at 7 p.m. and the talk commencing at 7:30 p.m.
Wait. We forgot to mention one of our favorite parts: it's totally free to the public!
You can even watch past lectures from the Ernest C. Watson series on Caltech's YouTube channel.
"Lead Contamination: An Old Foe Rises from the Ashes of the Eaton Fire," with Francois Tissot ~ January 21, 2026, at The Ernest C. Watson Lecture Series at Caltech, Beckman Auditorium, 332 S. Michigan Ave. Pasadena, CA 91106
