Residents around the Salton Sea have long complained of respiratory ailments from particulate pollution that wafts from its shoreline.

Now UCLA researchers have identified another air pollutant that could be sickening people in communities near the inland lake: hydrogen sulfide.

That’s a gas from decaying, organic matter that produces a rotten egg smell and is associated with eye irritation, headaches, nausea and other symptoms. In a pair of reports released last week, the Latino Policy & Politics Institute at UCLA described how algal blooms produce the gas in the water, and how it wafts across nearby neighborhoods.

“Communities that live next to the shore or within a mile of the shore experience exposure to hydrogen sulfide,” said Consuelo A. Márquez, a media specialist who authored the reports with Alejandra López, a graduate student at Brown University, and Isabella B. Arzeno-Soltero, a professor of environmental engineering at UCLA. “We hear stories: ‘my child faces chronic nosebleeds and have had asthma their whole life.’”

The Salton Sea crosses Riverside and Imperial Counties, and is California’s largest lake. By many measures it's also the most imperiled. Nearly twice as salty as the ocean, it's polluted by agricultural runoffs and toxic algal blooms. Despite its contamination, the sea is a haven to more than 400 bird species and a key stop on the Pacific Flyway, one of North America’s main bird migration routes. 

California recently created a Salton Sea Conservancy to restore habitat for birds and aquatic life. Community advocates say there needs to be greater focus on the water body’s effect on public health in neighboring communities.

“They need help getting treatment, getting medication, or care related to possible cardiovascular and respiratory issues,” Márquez said. “It’s happening at such high rates that a lot of them just live with it. I think there should be more attention put on that.”

The UCLA studies aimed to highlight those problems by measuring hydrogen sulfide emissions at the lake. One study, started in 2021, focused on how the chemical is produced in the water. High concentrations of nitrates from fertilizer runoff and low oxygen levels in the water column create an environment that generates hydrogen sulfide gases.

The second looked at hydrogen sulfide concentrations in the air starting in 2023. Researchers installed two additional hydrogen sulfide monitors in the area and found that hydrogen sulfide emissions consistently exceed the California Air Resources Board’s state standard of 30 parts per billion. They recorded 243 hours above this threshold between May and September 2024 alone. 

At those levels - and even at lower concentrations - the chemical can cause a litany of health problems, according to the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration. Those include nausea, eye irritation, headaches, sleep loss, airway problems, fatigue, irritability, poor memory, dizziness and others. 

“As more data highlight connections between water and air-quality, it is crucial to monitor air-quality in all its aspects, not just those related to dust,” the report stated, pointing out that the region is home to primarily Latino, Native American and immigrant residents. “The persistent issue of hydrogen sulfide pollution serves as a clear example of environmental injustice.”

The Salton Sea isn’t the only area with this problem. Hydrogen sulfide emissions also plague areas of San Diego County affected by pollution from the Tijuana River. In parts of South Bay San Diego, researchers with UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC Riverside, San Diego State University and federal agencies found concentrations of hydrogen sulfide about 4,500 times what is typical for an urban area, according to a report released last month.

Márquez said the UCLA researchers are calling for a “holistic systems approach” to improving air quality around the Salton Sea. That could include distributing air purifiers and air quality monitors so residents can play an active role in improving conditions. They also need better access to medical treatment for possible cardiovascular and respiratory issues. Above all, residents want to make sure their concerns are heard and addressed, she said.

“The best people who can create solutions are the people who are affected themselves,” she said.

California State Sen. Sabrina Cervantes filed a government claim Monday against the city of Sacramento, alleging "egregious misconduct" by the Sacramento Police Department during her arrest for alleged intoxicated driving.

On May 19, officers cited Cervantes, a Riverside Democrat, for allegedly driving under the influence after a crash as she was driving to work at the Capitol. Cervantes has maintained her innocence and toxicology results from a blood sample tested negative for "any measurable amount of alcohol or drugs."

Cervantes asserts that police arrested her without probable cause, in violation of state and federal protections against unlawful search and seizure. She claims the arrest was retaliation for her legislation to curb police abuse, and was discrimination against her as an LGBTQ and Latina elected official.

Republican Natasha Johnson was sworn in to represent California’s 63rd Assembly district this week, the Republican Caucus announced. Johnson won a special election to fill the vacancy left by former Assemblymember Bill Essayli.

Essayli resigned his seat in April to take an appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California. Assembly District 63, located in Riverside County, includes the cities of Menifee, Norco, and portions of Corona, Eastvale, and Lake Elsinore. 

Before her election to the Assembly, Johnson worked in banking and served 13 years on the Lake Elsinore City Council, including three terms as Mayor.

Patients with dementia and their family members and caregivers have found a safe space for more than a decade at a “Dementia Café” in Rancho Mirage, the Desert Sun reported.

P.F. Chang's in Rancho Mirage has hosted the Dementia Café Alzheimers Coachella Valley board member Dee Wieringa and volunteers twice a month since 2014.

The event lets them socialize in a safe, comfortable environment with people who understand their experiences. Caregivers may attend the event alone to get a break and interact with others in the same situation.

"They actually have staff members who request to work that shift because they have been touched by dementia or Alzheimer's at some point in their life,"  Wierenga told the Desert Sun. "And they are very understanding.”

Thank you for reading. I’m Deborah Brennan, and for the past year I have written the Inland Empire newsletter for CalMatters, exploring the economy, environment and educational systems of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.

I will be moving to a new position, covering San Diego stories from a statewide perspective. Aidan McGloin will pick up the Inland Empire newsletter next week, so please watch for his coverage of this important region.

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