Associated Press | "Residents near Maui wildfires show elevated metals linked to impacted lung health, study says"
The Associated Press interviewed Dr. Kekoa Taparra, with the Department of Health Policy Management, about research into the 2023 Maui wildfires.
The Associated Press interviewed Dr. Kekoa Taparra, physician and assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy Management, about research that found higher metal levels, associated with respiratory harm, in nearby residents up to 18 months after the 2023 Maui fires.
“This type of work echoes that climate-related disasters affect human health well beyond the immediate injuries and deaths we see during the event itself,” said Taparra, who was not involved in the study (but) has studied the health impacts of disasters. “Historic wildfires in Lahaina and even Los Angeles have highlighted how these disasters can produce longer-lasting consequences through displacement, disruption of healthcare and social networks, environmental exposures, and potentially increased mortality."
The story ran widely, including on ABC News, the Los Angeles Daily News, and the Seattle Times, among others.
