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.
19 Articles
19 Articles
Risk from toxic metals can persist months after wildfires, Maui study finds
Metal mixtures found in the leftover smoke, ash and debris from the deadly 2023 Maui wildfires were harmful to the lung health of people living nearby long after the burning ended, a new study says. The work shows that major wildfires, which are worsening with the planet’s warming, could have lasting effects beyond immediate exposure.Read the rest…
Residents near Maui wildfires show elevated metals linked to impacted lung health, study says – WTOP News
Metal mixtures found in the leftover smoke, ash and debris from the deadly 2023 Maui wildfires were harmful to the lung health of people living nearby long after the burning ended, a new study says. The work shows that major wildfires, which are worsening with the planet’s warming, could have lasting effects beyond immediate exposure....
Residents near Maui wildfires show elevated metals linked to impacted
Metal mixtures found in the leftover smoke, ash and debris from the deadly 2023 Maui wildfires were harmful to the lung health of people living nearby long after the burning ended, a new study says. The work
Residents near Maui wildfires show elevated metals linked to impacted lung health, study says
Metal mixtures found in the leftover smoke, ash and debris from the deadly 2023 Maui wildfires were harmful to the lung health of people living nearby long after the burning ended, a new study says.
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