A University of Hawaiʻi study of 1,400 Maui adults found urinary metal concentrations well above U.S. reference values 6–18 months after the 2023 wildfires, with higher combined metal burdens associated with abnormal lung-function results. Researchers note the findings show statistical associations but do not prove the fires directly caused the elevated levels or lung abnormalities.
- Antimony levels in study participants were nearly 40 times U.S. reference values, with manganese, barium, and arsenic also significantly elevated.
- Higher combined metal burdens were consistently associated with greater odds of abnormal lung-function measurements across multiple statistical models.
- The highest metal concentrations were found in residents from areas most affected by the fires.
- Urban-interface fires — which burn homes, vehicles, and electrical infrastructure — create exposure pathways beyond typical wildfire smoke.
- The study measures associations only and cannot confirm the fires as the direct source of the elevated metals or lung impacts.
Source: Watchers
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