WTC background study and sampling facts distributed, July 2002

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

/ Allow small, low-suction air pumps to run continuously in your residential unit, or for building volunteers, in the common areas of the building, for a period of eight hours;

For residences, to run fans or air conditioning units as would normally be used on a daily basis during the duration of the sampling;

Complete a questionairre provided by EPA;

Allow EPA to collect and analyze wipe and vacuum samples; and

z Sign an access agreement provided by EPA.

Background samples will consist of the following:

Air samples collected from pumps running eight-hours in each residential unit and from the common areas of the building;

Low-suction vacuum samples from carpets, fabric furniture, and/or drapes, in each residential unit and the common areas, if available;

Wipe samples of dust from horizontal surfaces of tables, counters, bare floors, and walls and ceilings;

Samples from individual air conditioner units and/or from the air conditioning/heating unit for the entire building.

Sampling instruments will run for eight hours in selected common areas and residential units. EPA’s contractor will stay outside the residential units or near the common areas as they are being sampled. The contractor will check the pumps hourly to ensure that they are working properly.

If you volunteer to have your home or building tested, EPA requests that you or your authorized representative be present during the sampling. For sampling in the common areas of the building, the owner or his or her authorized representative may decide whether or not to be present.

Costs for the background study are being paid by the federal government

EPA will analyze each of the samples collected for asbestos and lead. Wipe samples will also be analyzed for dioxins, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), silica, calcite, gypsum, man-made fibers (such as fibrous glass), and total dust. Indoor air samples will also be analyzed for silica, calcite, gypsum, and man-made fibers (such as fibrous glass). Analysis of the samples is expected to take eight to twelve weeks to complete. Once the study is complete, EPA will distribute written sampling results to the participants. The sampling results will be provided to the participants prior to publication as part of a general data base. The names of the participants will be kept confidential.

To volunteer to participate in the background study, please contact Carol Lynes at (212) 637-3585. For more information, contact Ben Barry at (212) 637-3651.

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