DOH/DEP asbestos fact sheet draft, 105 Duane Street

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

DRAFT 105Duane Street Fact Sheet

The New York City Departments of Health (DOH) and Environmental Protection (DEP) have been notified by the New York Environmental Law & Justice Project that tenants residing at 105 Duane Street are concerned that asbestos fibers, resulting from the collapse of the Twin Towers, are present within the building and its ventilation systems and pose a health concern. DOH has developed this fact sheet in order to help address these specific concerns.

What sampling has been performed for asbestos at 105 Duane Street?

• Sampling of the air in 209 locations (residential units and common areas) was performed by an environmental consultant, ATC Associates, on behalf of Related Management Company. • Sampling of three surfaces (two residential units and one common area) within the building and one dust sample from outside of the building was performed by the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) on behalf of DOH. • Sampling of two surfaces (a 10th floor apartment surface and common area air diffuser) was performed by Ed Olmsted, CIH, on behalf of the tenants. * Sampling of the air in five locations within the building ventilation system that services the 10th floor common area and in five locations in the common area of the building on the 10th floor was performed by ATC Associates on behalf of and as witnessed by DEP. The DEP laboratory then analyzed these samples.

What are the sampling results?

• AlI of the 209 air samples collected by ATC Associates, on behalf of Related Management Company, were within the most stringent standard used for clearance in an indoor environment. • No asbestos was detected in the surface and dust samples collected by USPHS. Results of a more detailed analysis of these samples are pending. • Both surface samples collected by Ed Olmstead using a vacuum sampling method showed the presence of asbestos fibers. • All of the 10 air samples collected by ATC Associates, on behalf of DEP, were within the most stringent standard used for clearance in an indoor environment.

Do these results mean I have been exposed to dangerous levels of asbestos?

No. The mere presence of asbestos does not necessarily pose a health concern. For asbestos to cause health problems it must be inhaled. All of the air samples collected at the building, including those from within the ventilation system, indicate that asbestos is not airborne in quantities that would pose a health concern.

Weren't the levels found on the supply air diffuser very high?

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