The devastating wildfires that ravaged the town of Lahaina, resulting in the tragic loss of 101 lives, caused concern among Hawaii health officials. Following the disaster, lead screening was conducted on west Maui residents to determine if there was evidence of widespread exposure to lead.
Blood samples were taken from 557 individuals, and only 27 people tested positive for lead exposure. Subsequent testing revealed that 15 of these individuals did not have elevated blood lead levels and were deemed to have received a false positive result. State Health Director Dr. Kenneth Fink expressed his relief at the findings, stating that it is reassuring to know that there are no widespread instances of elevated blood lead levels in the community.
Despite the devastation caused by the wildfires, the results of the lead screening provide some comfort to residents. The health department highlighted lead as one of the heavy metals of concern found in significant concentrations in the ash from the fires. Based on these results, it is not expected that there will be health impacts arising from exposure to toxins in the wildfire ash.
