World Trade Center Disaster
Worker and Environmental Health Information
WTC dust should be presumed hazardous and be professionally abated for asbestos. Clean-up workers need Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Respirators with screw-in particulate P-100 or R-100 HEPA cartridges (not N-100) reduce exposure risk to the harmful small particulates when professionally fitted. Do not use convential dry clean-up methods (e.g. dry dusting & sweeping, see NYCOSH fact sheet). Vacuum with special HEPA (High Efficiency Particle) filters to remove the harmful fine particulates, including asbestos. HEPA (or equivalent) filters are standardized to remove 99.97% or greater of 0.3 micron fine particulates. Goggles and protective clothing should be worn during clean up and afterwards bagged and washed separately. Read carefully the NYCOSH fact sheet for more information including wet clean-up before proceeding.
- Center for the Biology of Natural Systems |CBNS|
Medical Mobile Unit for Clean-Up Workers
|Press Release| |News Media|
Testimony before New York City Council, March 8, 2002 |pdf| - NY Committee for Occupational Safety and Health |NYCOSH|
OSHA Institutes Local Emphasis Program Near Ground Zero; Says WTC Dust Must Be Presumed to Contain Asbestos Update March 1, 2002
As the World Trade Center Clean-Up Continues, Health Concerns Grow NYCOSH Update Jan 14, 2002
Worker Health Fact Sheet |pdf|
Cleaning up indoor dust and debris in the World Trade Center area - rev Dec 14 |pdf|
Ground Zero Task Force report on asbestos (pdf) independent asbestos measurements of apartments near ground zero
WTC Catastrophe Health Links - Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Health Issues around the World Trade Center Disaster - New York Environmental Law Project |NYELP|
WTC Data & Documents Collected and Archived by NYELJP
Response to DOH summary of ATSDR's asbestos monitoring, by Cate Jenkins
without attachments |pdf| with annotated asbestos references |pdf 701k| - Center for Constitutional Rights |NYELP|
Environmental Safety
Testimony before NYC Council Nov 1 2001, Barbara J. Oshansky and Nicole Pollier pdf| - NIEHS World Trade Center Safety & Health Information |NIEHS WETP|
Response to the WTC Disaster: Assessment of Training Needs - Donald Elisburg John Moran Oct 6 (Released Oct 23) |pdf| - US Geological Survey |USGS|
Environmental Studies of the World Trade Center Roger N. Clark, et al, Colorado - US Environmental Protection Agency |USEPA|
Air Monitoring: Summaries, Maps & Data
EPA Data released by Freedom of Information Act to New York Environmental Law Project - US Health & Human Services |Fact Sheets|
Dust and Debris
Asbestos - US Occupational Health & Safety Administration |OSHA|
Asbestos Air Concentration Data - mapped
Other Air Monitoring Data
OSHA News Release
- NYC Dept. of Health |DOH|
NYC DOH Response to the WTC Disaster
Web Ed. NOTE: Please refer to NYCOSH fact sheets for clean up - NY State Dept. of Environmental Conservation |NYDEC|
Air Quality Monitoring
- News Media Reports
Towers Turn to Dust - abcNEWS.com video Sept 13
An Invisible Enemy: Dust - Dan Fagin, Newsday Sept 13
Asbestos Alert - David France and Erika Check, Newsweek Sept 14
Asbestos Targeted In Cleanup Effort - Hugo Kugiya, Newsday Sept 16
What's Lurking in That Smoke? - Michelle Conlin, Business Week Sept 20
Uneasy Breathing As the dust settles in New York, concerns linger about health risks in the air - Francesca Lyman, MSNBC Sept 26
Health Hazards in Air Worry Trade Center Workers - Juan Gonzales, Daily News Sept 28
Is Ground Zero Safe? New study suggests more asbestos at disaster site than previously revealed - David France Newsweek Oct 5
Rescue workers injured too often Desire to help came before precautions, federal agency finds - Catherine Clabby News Observer Oct 23
Questions About Safety of Workers - Dan Fagin Newsday Oct 25
Feds: Rescue Workers Not Protected Lisa L. Colangelo & Corky Siemsazko Daily News Oct 26
Toxins at Ground Zero - Juan Gonzalez Daily News Exclusive Oct 26
Heroes of Ground Zero at Risk - Michael Ellison UK Guardian Oct 27
EPA: High Toxin Level at Trade Center - Diego Ibarguen AP Oct 27
In NY, Taking a Breath of Fear - Christine Haughney Washington Post Page A01 Jan 8 02 |pdf|
EPA Watchdog Probes Effort At Ground Zero - Christine Haughney Washington Post Page A01 Jan 10 02
* Mobile Medical Unit To Care For WTC Recovery Workers - NY 1 News Jan 10 video
* Migrants Did Dirty & Dangerous Work WTC cleanup crews not protected, often not paid - Albor Ruiz and Greg Gittrich Daily News Jan 11 02 |pdf|
* Studies Will Take Sept. 11's Measure in Health Effects - Kirk Johnson NY Times Jan 11 02 |pdf|
Tragic Mound, Toxic Ground Your Environment - Francesca Lyman MSNBC Jan 11 02
Asbestos risks near ground zero may be far greater than government reports - Andrew Schneider St. Louis Post-Dispatch Jan 12 02
Decades of asbestos deaths in Montana mining town may help New Yorkers evaluate their risk - Andrew Schneider St. Louis Post-Dispatch Jan 12 02
Battle Over EPA Denials Of Dangers Downtown Russ Buettner Daily News Jan 12 02
* WTC Day Laborers to Get Toxin Tests - Karen Mathews AP Jan 14am 02 |NY Times|
* WTC Workers Line Up for Health Tests - Karen Matthews AP (Washington Post) Jan 14pm 02 |pdf|
* Day Laborers To Be Tested For Exposure To WTC Toxins - Art McFarland WABC-TV Jan 14 02
* Free Exams Offered To WTC-Area Laborers - Ralph R. Ortega Daily News Jan 15 02
* Health Checks at Ground Zero: Cleaning Workers Flock to Mobile Medical Unit - Margaret Ramirez Newsday Jan 15 02
Parents Vent Anger Over School Dust - Juan Gonzalez Daily News Jan 17 02
* Toxic Cover-up & World Trade Center Syndrome - Juan Gonzalez & Amy Goodman Democracy Now! Pacifica Jan 17 02 audio |mp3| |stream|
* WTC area laborers not geting much help - Dina V. Montes Staten Island Advance Jan 18 02
* Track Their Health Now, to Protect Others Later - Susan Q. Stranahan Washington Post Jan 20 02 |pdf|
* New Yorkers of the Week: Volunteers For WTC Mobile Medical Monitoring Unit - NY 1 News Jan 21
* Doc Scopes WTC Ills Cleanup workers have respiratory problems - Spotlight on City People - Clem Richardson Daily News Jan 28 02 |pdf| |jpg|
* WTC Health Van Closes - Margaret Ramirez Newsday Mar 1 02
* Waiting to inhale - Francesca Lyman MSNBC Mar 11 02
Toxic Fallout reports from lower Manhattan on environmental concerns provoked by the collapse of the World Trade Center - Ray Suarez PBS Newshour Apr 16 02 |real audio|
* Coverage of CBNS's WTC Medical Monitoring for Building Cleanup Workers Project
Kelly Price, Reuters
CBNS photo
Reuters Photo, Newsweek Story
USGS WTC Environmental Studies
