Mesothelioma Alert | 9/11 dust still causing health concerns for Ground Zero workers

It has been nine years since the World Trade Center fell to the ground. For some, the tragedy seems a distant memory. For others, the events of that day continue to negatively affect their lives. Many individuals who were in the vicinity that day, for example, have reported serious concerns about their health, with complaints ranging from coughs to asthma-like conditions to terminal illnesses like the asbestos cancer known as mesothelioma.

Myriad individuals were exposed to the debris that fell from the towers and the other buildings surrounding the world trade center. Those in the thick of things were firefighters, EMTs, police officers, and others who were first on the scene and remained there until the mayhem had cleared. They returned day after day and walked amid the debris that contained literally dozens upon dozens of toxins. World Trade Center employees who survived the tragedy are also apt to have inhaled toxic dust as they fought to escape, and New York residents who lived within a few miles of the towers were certainly not exempt from exposure as well. Of course, the thousands who toiled as clean-up personnel – removing debris and transporting it to a waste facility – were also exposed, especially if they didn’t wear proper protective gear.

As early as just a year or two after the event, first responders were reporting severe pulmonary problems. One NYFD rescue worker was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma only three years after 9-11. This is notable because mesothelioma normally takes decades to develop and is usually found in older individuals who worked with the toxic material for many years. That indicates that levels of asbestos after 9-11 may have been extremely high.

Some estimates note that a total of about 400 tons of asbestos may have fallen from the North and South Towers that day, even though the material was only used in the first 40 floors before asbestos use was halted due to prevailing health concerns.

Unfortunately, for this rescue worker and others like her who have since developed asbestos cancer, the mesothelioma survival rate is quite low and most victims die within just a year or two of diagnosis. It seems, however, that inhaling this toxic mineral was an unfortunate natural consequence of being in the vicinity of the towers both during and after the 9-11 tragedy and it’s likely that there will be more mesothelioma diagnoses.

Hence, nearly a decade later, doctors continue to treat individuals with a wealth of medical issues that seem to be related to the events of Sept. 11, 2001. For many, what began as the “World Trade Center Cough” has become something much more serious and doctors continue to encourage those who were exposed to post-9/11 toxins to be diligent about regular pulmonary screening and annual visits to their general practitioner. Any signs of pulmonary distress should be addressed immediately, experts stress.

Mesothelioma.com is dedicated to providing people with comprehensive information focused on the implications of asbestos exposure, including exposure sustained at Ground Zero in the months following September 11, 2001. Please visit Mesothelioma.com for more information, especially if you or a loved one were likely exposed to carcinogenic asbestos at Ground Zero.