Long after the Maui fires, toxic metals linger in residents’ bodies

In August 2023, a series of devastating wildfires struck Maui, claiming over 100 lives and leaving thousands homeless, with damage estimated in the billions. Noelani Ahia, a Kanaka Maoli and co-founder of Maui Medic Healers Hui, rallied nearly 600 volunteers to aid in Lāhainā, comprising doctors, nurses, and therapists. Three years on, the housing and health crises continue to loom large.

Ahia lamented that the fire may have ended, but the crisis persists. Research from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa's Maui Wildfire Exposure Study (MauiWES) published last year revealed that over 1 in 5 residents experienced diminished lung function. New research from the same project, however, has identified elevated levels of toxic metals in island residents months after the fires, with heightened exposure linked to compromised lung function.

This discovery underscores that health repercussions of catastrophic wildfires can endure long after the flames are doused and the smoke dissipates. Alika Maunakea, a Kanaka Maoli and co-director of MauiWES, told Grist that what society perceives as a singular event is no longer isolated. The study, which surveyed 1,400 adults across Maui six to 18 months post-fire, measured 24 metals in urine samples, uncovering that participants exhibited higher concentrations of several metals when compared to a nationwide health survey conducted prior to the fires.

These metals included 2.2 times more arsenic, 2.3 times more barium, and 3.8 times more manganese. Antimony, frequently employed in flame retardant materials and previously associated with lung irritation, stomach discomfort, and other symptoms, was detected at levels nearly 40 times higher than before. However, due to the absence of comparable pre-fires data, the researchers cannot definitively ascertain the extent to which the metal exposure stemmed from the disaster.

Maunakea emphasized that this question is the forthcoming focus for the project, which has secured a $3.6 million grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. The forthcoming research will delve into whether and to what degree historical agricultural and industrial activities contributed to the contamination.

Maunakea noted that these issues are intertwined with the legacy of settler colonialism. Ahia added that the recovery process must transcend the fire itself. "True recovery must address whether people can remain in their communities, care for 'āina, and transmit their knowledge and practices," she said, employing the Hawaiian term for land, which carries profound significance beyond mere property or location.

"Rebuilding should not replicate the very conditions that left people vulnerable. Caring for 'āina and caring for people must be equally invested and planned concurrently." Maunakea highlighted that the multifaceted challenges facing Native Hawaiians, such as housing, tourism-related harms, and the legacy of plantations, can exacerbate health disparities exacerbated by disasters.

As climate change intensifies, he expressed concern that disasters like those experienced on Maui, as well as recent floods and storms, will further widen existing health disparities. The study aims to not only identify health risks but also empower residents to respond to them. Study participants receive their results, discuss them, and consult health professionals.

"People are now aware of potential hazards and what measures to take," Maunakea stated. "Although we do not have all the answers, we are advancing towards a more comprehensive understanding and providing our community with valuable insights." This story was first published by Grist with the headline "Long after the Maui fires, toxic metals linger in residents’ bodies" on October 16, 2026.