After Maui fires, human health risks linger in the air, water and even surviving buildings
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Saturday, August 12, 2023
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The fires also left lingering health risks for humans and wildlife.
Key Points:
- The fires also left lingering health risks for humans and wildlife.
- When fires spread through communities, as we’ve seen more often in recent years, they burn structures that contain treated wood, plastics, paints and hazardous household wastes.
- Lahaina and other Maui communities face similar risks ahead.
Chemical hazards in fire debris
- Less obvious are the chemical hazards that can reach well beyond the fire zone.
- State health officials recommended that residents wear close-toed shoes, N95 respirators, chemical resistant gloves and other protective equipment while looking through property debris.
- When disaster debris is eventually removed by professionals, the contractors will be wearing Tyvek suits and possibly respirators to protect their health.
Buildings that didn’t burn can still have hazards
- Particles and vapors can enter buildings through cracks, doors, windows and other portals.
- Some of these pollutants settle onto surfaces, while others penetrate fabrics, stick to walls and enter air ducts.
Drinking water risks and soil testing
- My colleagues and I have documented benzene levels that exceeded hazardous limits for drinking water after several previous fires.
- These and other chemicals pose an immediate health risk to water users, even if the water smells fine.
- Proper inspections and testing in buildings and for private wells and larger water systems are important.
Protecting waterways and aquatic life
- Lahaina stretches along Maui’s west coast and has long been a popular site for seeing sea turtles and other marine life.
- That sea life may now be at risk from pollutants from burned coastal buildings and runoff.
- Communities can avoid more harmful runoff during the cleanup process by placing pollution-control barriers near storm drains, around properties and near waterways.
What happens to all the debris?
- After the 2021 Marshall Fire in Colorado, where about 1,200 structures were destroyed, the cleanup generated 300,000 tons of waste.
- In the process, I recommend residents reach out to public health departments for advice to help them stay healthy and safe.