Unfortunately, no amount of reassurances about post-9/11 air safety could change the harsh reality that unfolded soon afterwards. Late in September 2001, in a direct challenge to statements about Ground Zero air quality, the nonprofit New York Environmental Law and Justice Project revealed that a substantial number of air samples collected in independent tests contained high levels of asbestos, which means many people were exposed.

The owners of Deutsche Bank, eager to know their potential liability and to accurately evaluate the danger to their employees of exposure, conducted extensive tests that found "astronomical" levels of asbestos in the air. Another study by HP Environmental of Virginia found asbestos within several blocks of Ground Zero, inside closed and undamaged buildings, and as high as 36 stories up. A growing body of studies that emerged following the attacks - conducted by private agencies and the EPA - reported that the pulverized debris from the towers contained a virtual cocktail of toxic substances, including PCBs, concrete, carcinogens, glass fibers, mercury, Freon® and lead - in addition to asbestos.

Reports of Post-9/11 Health Problems Grow

A Mount Sinai study of Ground Zero rescue and recovery workers found that 78% had suffered lung ailments, a common ailment from asbestos exposure. A survey of residential areas near the site, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and the New York City Health Department, found that 40% of those questioned reported persistent coughing that was likely related to the WTC collapse. And according to a February 2002 study by the Natural Resources Defense Council, at least 10,000 people in Lower Manhattan suffered immediate health problems from exposure to the air near Ground Zero.

The early assurances of air quality safety and the continued defense of those assurances by government officials could not erase the inescapable truth: the air at and around Ground Zero was laden with asbestos, exposing thousands of people to the possibility of unnecessary illness or premature death. Since many problems relating to asbestos exposure - including mesothelioma cancer - are slow to manifest, the true fallout from the failure to report post-9/11 air hazards may not be known for decades to come.

If you are experiencing breathing problems following exposure to the air at Ground Zero and the surrounding area, or if you are experiencing any other symptoms related to exposure to asbestos or mesothelioma cancer, you may wish to visit the Mesothelioma Diagnosis Support Center.

For more information on this topic:

• September 11 and mesothelioma
• September 11 and asbestos
• Ground Zero NY