(New York-WABC, May 3, 2004) -- An alarming new report was issued on Monday about the health of rescue workers at Ground Zero, and residents of Lower Manhattan, who were exposed to the dust on 9/11.
Of those who were exposed the longest to the intense smoke and dust and chemicals from the collapse of the World Trade Center, nearly one in four of them are now suffering from profound respiratory problems.
Michelle Charlesworth reports from Ground Zero.
Most of us remember watching footage of workers at Ground Zero immediately after 9/11, and in the weeks and months following. Most weren't wearing any protection on their faces, and if they were it would be something flimsy like a surgical mask.
But because of a study done at six different hospitals, doctors are now proving beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the more heroic people were at Ground Zero, the sicker they'd become. And the sicker they would continue to become over the next 10 to 20 years.
Within the days and weeks after 9/11 the lead research doctor on the study says he knew the air was dangerous, even poisonous, as he and the rest of the world watched the unprotected faces of everyone around Ground Zero.
Philip Landrigan, MD, Lead Researcher: "The main finding in those folks, is that they had very severe respiratory problems. Especially cough, and wheeze, and new asthma. And we believe that those symptoms are the result of the fact that these people inhaled terribly toxic dust."
This is what the mayor said on September 12, the day after the attacks.
Mayor Rudolph Giuliani (From September 12, 2001): "As long as you're not in the epicenter of the recovery, it's not at dangerous levels."
The two-year study looked at two things; the air, and the people around World Trade.
In the air, doctors found three things:
- Pulverized concrete stuck in people's lungs
- Microscopic shards of glass, that caused lacerations
- Asbestos
She also says the EPA knew the risks, according to an EPA document that dates back to 1989.
Suzanne Mattei, Sierra Club Attorney: "You could smell it, you could taste it, you could feel the irritation. Your common sense told you that it was hazardous, but the government kept telling you that it was safe. That's wrong."
Regarding the asbestos the lead research doctor on the study says we will see higher lung cancer rates over the next 10 to 20 years. And the study also found that pregnant women who were near Ground Zero on 9/11 went on to have twice the normal number of low birth-weight babies.
For more information, you can read the full report from the National Institutes of Health, "Health and Environmental Consequences of the World Trade Center Disaster." (PDF)
