{
  "id": 14913578,
  "title": "Long After the Maui Fires, Toxic Metals Linger in Residents’ Bodies",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/long-after-the-maui-fires-toxic-metals-linger-in-residents-bodies",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-16T08:45:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Intercept",
    "slug": "the-intercept",
    "url": "https://theintercept.com/2026/10/16/maui-wildfire-toxic-metals/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In August 2023, a devastating series of wildfires broke out across Maui, resulting in over 100 deaths, the destruction of thousands of homes, and billions in damage. Noelani Ahia, a Kanaka Maoli and co-founder of Maui Medic Healers Hui, stepped in to coordinate over 600 volunteers in Lāhainā, comprising doctors, nurses, and therapists. Three years later, the housing and health crises persist despite the fires being extinguished. Ahia expressed that while the fire may be gone, the catastrophe has only just begun. Research from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa's Maui Wildfire Exposure Study (MauiWES) discovered that more than 1 in 5 residents experienced diminished lung function following the fires. The same project now reveals that residents have elevated levels of toxic metals in their bodies months after the catastrophe, with higher exposure linked to impaired lung function. The findings indicate that the health repercussions of catastrophic wildfires can persist long after the fires have been put out and the smoke has cleared. Alika Maunakea, another Kanaka Maoli and co-director of MauiWES, stated, \"What we consider and sometimes look at as a one-time event isn't really one-time anymore.\" Researchers are uncertain whether the contamination primarily stemmed from the fires or was already present in the environment. However, they aim to understand the various contaminants present, those released by the fires, and those that entered residents' bodies. The study measured 24 metals in urine samples from 1,400 adults across Maui six to 18 months post-fire. Participants had higher concentrations of arsenic (2.2 times), barium (2.3 times), manganese (3.8 times), and antimony (almost 40 times) than in a nationwide health survey conducted before the fires. Antimony, utilized in flame-retardant materials, has been associated with lung irritation, stomach pain, and other symptoms. The research team lacks pre-fire data, so determining how much of the metal exposure resulted from the disaster is the next step. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has granted $3.6 million to the project, which includes investigating the role of past agricultural and industrial activities in the contamination. Ahia emphasized that these issues are rooted in settler colonialism, highlighting the need to consider the historical context. Katie Kamelamela, a Kanaka Maoli and assistant professor at Arizona State University based in Hawaiʻi, pointed out that true recovery must go beyond addressing the fire. She emphasized the importance of funding and planning for the health and well-being of people and the land, or 'āina,' to prevent similar conditions from endangering the community in the future.",
  "summary": "The toxic exposures didn’t begin with the flames. Researchers are examining how fires affected a community already harmed by plantation agriculture, development, and colonialism. The post Long After the Maui Fires, Toxic Metals Linger in Residents’ Bodies appeared first on The Intercept .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Grist",
        "title": "Long after the Maui fires, toxic metals linger in residents’ bodies",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/long-after-the-maui-fires-toxic-metals-linger-in-residents-bodies-14917219",
        "published": "2026-10-16T08:45:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Intercept",
        "title": "Long After the Maui Fires, Toxic Metals Linger in Residents’ Bodies",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/long-after-the-maui-fires-toxic-metals-linger-in-residents-bodies-14917099",
        "published": "2026-10-16T08:45:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}