The Department of Health (DOH) has disclosed the results of lead screening conducted at a series of community events between December 2023 and February 2024, which were attended by individuals affected by the Maui wildfires. The screenings were a collaborative effort between DOH Public Health Nurses and the Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii (HMHB). Despite wildfire ash containing substantial concentrations of lead, the findings do not suggest widespread human exposure to toxins in the ash.
State Health Director Dr. Kenneth Fink stated, “While the effects of the August 8 wildfires on the community have been devastating, it’s reassuring to know that people in the community are not showing elevated blood lead levels.” He further added, “On the basis of these results with lead as an indicator of exposure, we do not expect to find health impacts caused by toxins in the wildfire ash.”
Lead is one among several heavy metals found in considerable quantities in ash from the August 2023 Maui fires. High lead exposure can be toxic to humans, and routine lead screening is recommended for high-risk populations. Lead can also be found in sources such as lead-based paint, consumer products, certain work environments and hobbies.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has set a Blood Lead Reference Value (BLRV) of 3.5 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL) to identify children with blood lead levels that are higher than most children’s levels. For adults, a BLL of 5 µg/dL or greater necessitates surveillance according to CDC’s Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance program.
For this project, over 550 people were screened for lead exposure at 15 community events. The screenings were based on a blood sample taken from a finger-stick and evaluated using Meridian Bioscience LeadCare II machines.
A total of 557 West Maui residents were screened for lead. Of those, 27 (4.8%) had lead detections at 3.3 ug/dL or greater using the LeadCare II screening method. Of these, 20 received confirmatory venous tests, with 15 not subsequently found to have an elevated BLL and determined to have a false positive screening test.
The confirmed lead detection rates across this population ranged from 0.9% to 2.2%, indicating that an elevated lead level was not detected in 97.8%-99.1% of those with potential ash exposure who were screened.
The low prevalence of elevated lead, combined with the low blood levels of lead detected, provides reassurance that the Maui wildfires did not result in clinically significant exposure to contaminants in ash at a population level.
More information on this study can be found at DOH Lead Screening Report – May 2024.