9-11 CONTINUES TO CAUSE HEALTH-RELATED HAVOC

Nine years after the tragedies that befell New York City on Sept. 11, 2001 have passed, scores of individuals who suffered exposure to toxic materials released when the World Trade Center towers fell continue to report a variety of pulmonary and other illnesses that many doctors believe are a result of that tragic day.

To add insult to injury, many say, a bill that would have allocated $7.4 billion in aid to those people who were sickened by the dust that fell from the towers failed to make it through the House of Representatives in late July 2010, disappointing thousands of sick rescue and recovery workers who could have garnered free health care and compensation payments if the bill had passed.

Researchers and doctors in the New York City area report that thousands of New Yorkers, including residents, volunteers, and emergency medical workers, suffer from an ailment similar to asthma. Others have been diagnosed with more serious diseases and disorders including sarcoidosis, an inflammatory disease that generally begins in the lungs and can spread to the liver, lymph nodes, and other organs; and mesothelioma, an asbestos cancer that normally takes decades to develop but has been seen in firefighters, EMTs, and other first responders within just a few years of the events of 9-11.

As a matter of fact, Debbie Reeve – a paramedic with the NY Fire Department’s Emergency Medical Service Bureau – died in 2006 after developing mesothelioma two years before, just three years after Sept. 11th. Before passing away at the age of 41, she underwent extensive mesothelioma treatment, including 13 rounds of chemotherapy and 30 radiation treatments.

Reeve’s passing was not a surprise to many who worked with her or in similar positions. Simply put, the day the World Trade Center towers fell, so did thousands and thousands of tons of toxins of various sorts, including not only asbestos but also what the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) referred to as ground up construction materials, which also included concrete, glass, and fiberglass. Those who examined the debris more carefully, however, report it also included lead, mercury, cadmium, dioxins, and PCBs, dangerous substances that can wreak havoc with the human body.

Though the EPA also mentioned that “some asbestos” had fallen, the fact remains that this toxic material was used in the construction of the first 40 floors of each tower, probably about 400 tons total. The fact that the concentration of asbestos was so high perhaps demonstrates why first responders like Reeve could develop mesothelioma is just four short years when it normally takes at least 20 years to see the first signs of the disease.

Today, those who survived the aftermath of 9-11 face each doctor’s appointment with a good deal of trepidation, dreading a diagnosis of asbestos cancer or another serious illness. For many, the immediate health problems they experienced shortly after that fateful day have turned into something much more ominous. That’s why doctors continue to encourage anyone exposed to 9-11 debris to take advantage of regular screenings to determine the health of their lungs. It’s a test that could save many lives.

To learn more about the health consequences of Ground Zero asbestos exposure on the health of those who worked and volunteered there, please visit the Mesothelioma and Asbestos Awareness Center Mesothelioma Information page. You can also connect with the MAA Center on Facebook and on Twitter @MAACenter for more information about your health and asbestos exposure.