MAUI — Scientists examined urine specimens collected from 1,400 grown-ups and detected increased amounts of several metals, specifically copper, antimony, cadmium, and arsenic. Compared with standard U.S. biomonitoring figures, the Maui group showed antimony readings almost 40 times greater. National reference points were also surpassed by manganese at 3.8 times the expected amount, barium at 2.3 times, and arsenic at 2.2 times.

Respiratory impacts corresponded to where smoke and ash settled, showing varied outcomes for people living around Wailuku, Kahului, and Lahaina versus those in the Kula area. According to investigators, the detected metals likely originated from destroyed cars, structures, gadgets, and other items consumed by the blazes. Downed electrical cables ignited a brushfire that winds then pushed across the landscape, triggering the August 2023 disaster on the Hawaiian island. That event razed Lahaina and claimed over 100 lives.

"What we're dealing with, especially in the aftermath of what we experienced in Lahaina, is a much more complicated mixture of these chemical exposures," said Alika Maunakea, anatomy, biochemistry, and physiology professor at the University of Hawaii, Manoa. "It's really important to identify potential sources of these exposures and to mitigate and reduce potential risks for re-exposures that might be contributing to these effects."

Maunakea further explained that "what happens to the land and environment can shape what people breathe, take into their bodies, and develop over time." She noted, "The consequences of that can unfold over many years." According to Ruben Juarez, a health economics professor at the University of Hawaii, "this is bigger than wildfires." He stated, "These climate-related disasters can change the environment in ways that continue after the immediate emergency is over," adding that "Floods, hurricanes, fires, and other disasters definitely can disturb soil, debris, buildings, and legacy contaminants that we have in Hawaii, creating these pathways for exposure." Juarez also emphasized that "disaster response should not stop when visible danger is gone."

Authors acknowledged a constraint: without baseline information from prior to August 2023, they cannot precisely separate wildfire-driven effects from ongoing or alternative exposures like local geology, dietary habits, past farming and manufacturing operations, or other ecological factors. Kekoa Taparra, a physician and assistant professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, remarked that such research reinforces the idea that climate-driven catastrophes impact human wellness far past the initial casualties and trauma. Taparra observed that past blazes in Los Angeles and Lahaina demonstrated how such events yield prolonged outcomes via community displacement, interrupted medical and social support, environmental contact, and possibly higher death rates. "As these events become more frequent and severe, understanding and measuring their full health impact will be essential to building more resilient communities and health systems," he added.

Why It Matters

These results link short-term catastrophe trauma to enduring ecological health hazards, showing that weather-driven incidents modify terrain and human physiology long after the fire is out. For decades, the University of Hawaii has pursued ecological and community wellness investigations, examining how volcanic gases and factory runoff affect island residents. Data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicates that Hawaii ranks among the top states for ground pollution stemming from old farming chemicals, with more than 40 percent of tested locations surpassing safety limits for specific heavy metals. Back in 2018, university scientists examined well water near farming zones and discovered increased arsenic and cadmium tied to past chemical applications.

Outcomes from the Maui investigation are now shaping emergency protocols elsewhere, notably in Los Angeles, where scientists are applying the MauiWES framework to evaluate wellness outcomes from the 2024 Palisades, Eaton, and Altadena blazes, establishing a template for multi-area cooperation. In 2025, a JAMA Network Open paper featuring University of Hawaii co-authors revealed that 722 individuals from the Maui incident pursued medical checkups and 300 utilized psychological care once they got their biomonitoring reports, pointing to a clear pattern of post-catastrophe medical participation. Additionally, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) awarded the University of Hawaii $3.6 million in September 2026 to explore how past farming and manufacturing operations in the state drive prolonged metal contact, especially following catastrophes like the August 2023 Maui event.

That September 2026 NIEHS award of $3.6 million will fund research into how island farming and manufacturing toxins get stirred up by blazes, demonstrating a growing pattern of federal investment into ecological wellness studies tied to catastrophes. Operating under a wider National Institutes of Health program, the Maui Wildfire Exposure Study (MauiWES) benefits from a separate $5.9 million allocation designed to broaden catastrophe wellness investigations, aligning with the institution's goal of tracking weather-driven wellness effects over extended periods. By 2026, the MauiWES project grew its roster to encompass 800 minors, adding to the original group of 1,800 grown-ups and 200 minors signed up following the 2023 fires, marking a numerical pivot toward tracking extended wellness outcomes across different generations.

Timeline

August 2023: Blazes sweep across the Hawaiian island of Maui, leveling Lahaina and claiming over 100 lives. Downed electrical wires ignite a brushfire that strong winds then fan into a major disaster. 2018: University of Hawaii scientists examine well water near farming zones and discover increased arsenic and cadmium tied to past chemical applications.

2024: Blazes strike the Palisades, Eaton, and Altadena zones around Los Angeles. Scientists start applying the MauiWES framework to evaluate wellness outcomes from these incidents.

2025: A JAMA Network Open paper featuring University of Hawaii co-authors reveals that 722 individuals from the Maui incident pursued medical checkups and 300 utilized psychological care once they got their biomonitoring reports.

September 2026: The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) provides the University of Hawaii with $3.6 million to explore how past farming and manufacturing operations in the state drive prolonged metal contact. The MauiWES project grows its roster to encompass 800 minors.

What's New

Research appearing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences indicates that metallic compounds within the 2023 Maui blaze's smoke, ash, and rubble impaired respiratory wellness for locals. Scientists at the University of Hawaii examined urine specimens collected from 1,400 grown-ups and detected increased amounts of several metals, specifically copper, antimony, cadmium, and arsenic. Compared with standard U.S. biomonitoring figures, the Maui group showed manganese readings 3.8 times greater, barium at 2.3 times, and arsenic at 2.2 times.

Increased bodily metal amounts correlated with irregular respiratory performance, showing up as lowered air volume and trouble exchanging air during routine pulmonary exams.

How Sources Differ

On the topic of hawaii researchers, hawaii.edu noted that a 2025 JAMA Network Open paper featuring University of Hawaii co-authors revealed 722 individuals from the Maui incident pursued medical checkups and 300 utilized psychological care once they got their biomonitoring reports, whereas the University of Hawaii study mentioned that scientists at the University of Hawaii examined urine specimens collected from 1,400 grown-ups and detected increased amounts of several metals, specifically copper, antimony, cadmium, and arsenic. Concerning wildfire participants, hawaii.edu pointed out that the same 2025 JAMA Network Open paper showed those 722 individuals sought medical checkups and 300 used psychological care post-results, while the University of Hawaii research indicated that antimony readings were almost 40 times greater in the Maui group versus standard U.S. biomonitoring figures. Also regarding wildfire participants, hawaii.edu emphasized the 2025 JAMA Network Open findings on medical and psychological service usage, but the University of Hawaii paper reported manganese at 3.8 times the expected amount, barium at 2.3 times, and arsenic at 2.2 times above national reference points. When discussing maui wildfires, hawaii.edu mentioned the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) provided the University of Hawaii with $3.6 million in September 2026 to explore how past farming and manufacturing operations drive prolonged metal contact, whereas the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences published research showing metallic compounds within the 2023 blaze's smoke, ash, and rubble impaired respiratory wellness for locals. Addressing of Hawaii, hawaii.edu covered the September 2026 NIEHS $3.6 million award for investigating historical farming and manufacturing impacts on metal contact, while the University of Hawaii research acknowledged a constraint regarding the inability to precisely separate wildfire-driven effects from ongoing exposures like local geology, diet, past operations, or ecological factors without pre-August 2023 baseline data. Finally, regarding found elevated, hawaii.edu referenced a 2018 university examination of well water near farming zones that discovered increased arsenic and cadmium tied to past chemical applications, contrasting with the University of Hawaii study's focus on urine specimens from 1,400 grown-ups showing increased copper, antimony, cadmium, and arsenic.