Maui Fire Study Links Elevated Metals to Lung Effects

A study of 1,400 Maui adults found elevated levels of several metals in urine samples collected six to 18 months after the August 2023 wildfires, including antimony, manganese, barium and arsenic. Higher combined metal levels were associated with abnormal lung-function measures, though the findings do not establish that wildfire exposure alone caused the metals or respiratory effects. Researchers say burned buildings, vehicles and other materials may have contributed, alongside preexisting or ongoing exposures from soil, land use, diet and other sources; without pre-fire measurements, the sources cannot be precisely separated. The findings suggest that health monitoring and recovery efforts may need to continue after smoke and flames are gone.