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Residents Near Maui Wildfires Show Elevated Metals Linked to Impacted Lung Health, Study Says
University of Hawaii researchers found antimony nearly 40 times higher than U.S. biomonitoring data and linked higher metal levels to reduced breathing capacity.
- On Monday, the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences published research linking metal exposure from the 2023 Maui wildfires to persistent respiratory issues among nearby residents.
- The August 2023 wildfires destroyed more than 2,200 structures in Lahaina, Hawaii, causing about $5.5 billion in damages and killing more than 100 people as burning buildings released microscopic metal particles.
- Testing 1,400 adults, University of Hawaii researchers found antimony levels nearly 40 times higher than national baselines, with elevated manganese, barium, and arsenic linked to diminished lung capacity.
- MauiWES co-director Alika Maunakea cautioned that "finding elevated metals six to 18 months after the wildfire does not necessarily mean the same metals have simply remained in the body since the day of the fire."
- Experts warn that climate change increases the frequency of wildland-urban interface fires, requiring long-term environmental monitoring to protect public health beyond the immediate aftermath of such disasters.
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Toxic metals detected in Maui residents months after wildfires
People living on Maui had elevated levels of several metals in their bodies months after devastating wildfires swept through communities on the Hawaiian island, with higher exposure also linked to abnormal lung function, new research has found. The study, led by researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, analysed urine…
Research has found that residents near the 2023 Hawaii wildfires still have traces of certain metals in their bodies, linked to abnormal lung function, even 1.5 years after the event.
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Leaning Left16Leaning Right5Center21Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Center
Bias Distribution
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50% Center
L 38%
C 50%
12%
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