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PreprintCC BYChemRxiv

Airborne Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in 20 Homes Several Months After the 2023 Maui Wildfires

  • Joseph P. Pendleton1,2
  • Zahra Keshavarz1,2
  • Jose Vallarino1,2
  • Christopher Shuler3,4
  • Sayed M. Bateni3,4,5,6
  • Joseph G. Allen1,2
  • Parham Azimi1,2
6 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Environmental Health
  2. 2Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
  3. 3Water Resources Research Center
  4. 4University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
  5. 5Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering
  6. 6UNESCO-UNISA Africa Chair in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, College of Graduate Studies, University of South Africa, Muckleneuk Ridge, Pretoria, South Africa, 392
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Abstract

Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is associated with adverse health outcomes, including cancer. PAHs are emitted by wildfires and may persist in indoor environments following smoke events. To better understand post-wildfire PAH persistence inside residences, we sampled for 16 airborne PAHs at 20 homes in Lāhainā, Hawaiʻi, 5-7 months after the 2023 Maui wildfires, both before and after deploying an additional air purifier on top of existing indoor filtration and purification systems. Additionally, we surveyed building occupants about pollution-relevant behaviors. Concentrations of all indoor airborne PAHs fell below risk-based screening levels. Estimated cumulative cancer risks and hazard indices were all below 1 × 10-6 and 1, respectively. We found higher concentrations of low-molecular-weight PAHs than highmolecular-weight PAHs. The results of source attribution using indoor/outdoor ratios, principal component analysis, and diagnostic ratios are somewhat equivocal, but we could not clearly identify a biomass-combustion-related source of the indoor airborne PAHs. We found little association between self-reported occupant behaviors and PAH levels, and we found no significant effect of the air purifier on indoor PAH concentraties. These results suggest that there was not substantial fire-related airborne PAH contamination inside local residences several months after a major wildfire event.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@misc{pendleton2026airborne,
  title = {{Airborne Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in 20 Homes Several Months After the 2023 Maui Wildfires}},
  author = {Joseph P. Pendleton and Zahra Keshavarz and Jose Vallarino and Christopher Shuler and Sayed M. Bateni and Joseph G. Allen and Parham Azimi},
  howpublished = {ChemRxiv},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.26434/chemrxiv.15010848/v1},
  url = {https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15010848/v1},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - UNPB
TI  - Airborne Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in 20 Homes Several Months After the 2023 Maui Wildfires
AU  - Joseph P. Pendleton
AU  - Zahra Keshavarz
AU  - Jose Vallarino
AU  - Christopher Shuler
AU  - Sayed M. Bateni
AU  - Joseph G. Allen
AU  - Parham Azimi
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/22
PB  - ChemRxiv
DO  - 10.26434/chemrxiv.15010848/v1
UR  - https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15010848/v1
AB  - Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is associated with adverse health outcomes, including cancer. PAHs are emitted by wildfires and may persist in indoor environments following smoke events. To better understand post-wildfire PAH persistence inside residences, we sampled for 16 airborne PAHs at 20 homes in Lāhainā, Hawaiʻi, 5-7 months after the 2023 Maui wildfires, both before and after deploying an additional air purifier on top of existing indoor filtration and purification systems. Additionally, we surveyed building occupants about pollution-relevant behaviors. Concentrations of all indoor airborne PAHs fell below risk-based screening levels. Estimated cumulative cancer risks and hazard indices were all below 1 × 10-6 and 1, respectively. We found higher concentrations of low-molecular-weight PAHs than highmolecular-weight PAHs. The results of source attribution using indoor/outdoor ratios, principal component analysis, and diagnostic ratios are somewhat equivocal, but we could not clearly identify a biomass-combustion-related source of the indoor airborne PAHs. We found little association between self-reported occupant behaviors and PAH levels, and we found no significant effect of the air purifier on indoor PAH concentraties. These results suggest that there was not substantial fire-related airborne PAH contamination inside local residences several months after a major wildfire event.
ER  -