Hawaii

No sign of widespread lead exposure from Maui wildfires, Hawaii health officials say

Published

2 years ago

May 10, 2024

No sign of widespread lead exposure from Maui wildfires, Hawaii health officials say

Photos of victims are displayed under white crosses at a memorial for the August 2023 wildfire victims, above the Lahaina Bypass highway, Dec. 6, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. Hawaii health officials say test results show no evidence of widespread lead exposure from last summer’s Maui wildfires. Blood samples were taken from more than 500 people to screen for lead after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century fire ripped through the town of Lahaina, killing 101 people. Credit: AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File

Lead screening conducted on west Maui residents after last summer’s devastating wildfires showed no widespread exposure to the toxic metal, Hawaii health officials said Thursday.

Blood samples were taken from 557 people after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century ripped through the town of Lahaina, killing 101 people.

Just 27 people’s screening results came out positive, and subsequent testing showed 15 of them did not have elevated blood lead levels and were determined to have had a false positive, the state health department said.

“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,” state Health Director Dr. Kenneth Fink said in a statement. “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 of the heavy metals of concern found in significant concentrations in ash from the fires, the health department said.

Citation:
No sign of widespread lead exposure from Maui wildfires, Hawaii health officials say (2024, May 10)
retrieved 10 May 2024
from https://phys.org/news/2024-05-widespread-exposure-maui-wildfires-hawaii.html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

Source link

Related Topics:Featured Materials Nanotech physics Physics News science Science News technology technology news

Click to comment

Hawaii

From aviation to shipping, how Hawaii’s transportation sector is going green

Published

6 hours ago

December 17, 2025

Press Room

From aviation to shipping, how Hawaii’s transportation sector is going green

From cars, to busses, to the new rail and even up in the sky, transportation is what keeps us moving.

So how will Hawaii keep moving on cleaner pathways to meet our state’s clean energy goals?

KHON2’s Empowered franchise is committed to providing information to keep people informed on sustainability issues in Hawaii.

Joining KHON’s Gina Mangieri to talk about how we keep moving on cleaner pathways:

Kathleen Rooney, Ulupono Initiative Director of Transportation Policy and Programs
Roger Morton, Director of the Honolulu Department of Transportation Services
Nahelani Parsons, Hawaii Renewable Fuels Coalition

Source link

Hawaii

Matsuzawa now a consensus All-American, Hawaii’s first | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Published

18 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

Matsuzawa now a consensus All-American, Hawaii’s first | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

MARCO GARCIA / IMAGN IMAGES

UH kicker Kansei Matsuzawa reacted after making a game-winning field goal to beat the Stanford Cardinal at Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex in the Warriors’ opener on Aug. 23.

Kicker Kansei Matsuzawa today became the University of Hawaii football program’s first consensus All-American.

Matsuzawa, 26, earned the distinction after being selected today to the American Football Coaches Association’s All-America first team.

The NCAA recognizes five All-America teams. A “consensus” All-American is selected to three of those organizations’ first teams. Matsuzawa previously was named to the All-America first teams by the Walter Camp Foundation and the Associated Press. The Sporting News and the Football Writers Association of America will announce their All-America teams this week.

“This is a result of my teammates and coaches,” Matsuzawa said, noting without them “I couldn’t have done this. I appreciate my family, and the state of Hawaii and Japan.”

Matsuzawa is a self-taught kicker from Chiba, Japan. The school-promoted “Tokyo Toe” converted his first 25 field-goal attempts this season to tie an FBS record for best start. The streak ended when he was wide right on a 30-yard attempt in the fourth quarter of the regular-season finale against Wyoming.

Last week, UH special teams coordinator Thomas Sheffield declared Matsuzawa as “the best kicker in the country. And I’ll stand on the tallest mountain and scream it from the tallest mountain until the cows come home.”

The Rainbow Warriors will play Cal in the Dec. 24 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl at the Ching Complex.

—
More UH football coverage

Source link

Hawaii

Hawaii-based company in national spotlight for cookie deliveries

Published

1 day ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

Hawaii-based company in national spotlight for cookie deliveries

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A Hawaii-based company was in the national spotlight this weekend for its sweet service.

The Maui Cookie Lady was featured on Good Morning America as part of a segment highlighting the best holiday cookies to order online.

The Makawao-based bakery made the list, curated by Bon Appétit and Epicurious editor-in-chief Jamila Robinson, alongside other standout cookie companies from across the country that can deliver delicious treats straight to your doorstep.

The Maui Cookie Lady was founded by Mitzi Toro in 2012 as a thank you to Maui nurses who cared for Toro’s ill father.

Known for colossal-sized cookies in imaginative flavors, the company quickly became a favorite, with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Ludacris among its many fans.

“I’m still taking it in,” said Toro. “I’m proud of our team and grateful for the support that has carried us from our island kitchen to a national audience. I hope this moment reminds people how special our Maui community truly is.”

Source link