NYS DOL WTC sample data summary, February 2002

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

New York State Department of Labor Division of Safety and Health

Sampling Summary as of 2/13/2002

Personal exposure sampling has been performed on numerous employees working on and around the WTC site. This has included firefighters, police officers, state troopers, corrections officers, police detectives, and sanitation workers. The New York State Department of Labor has to date collected over 260 personal exposure samples on public employees working at the site with over 2200 analyses performed. The sampling summary below is for activity up to 1/30/2002.

Asbestos Over 45 personal samples have been collected so far with results ranging from not detectable to 0.116 fibers per cc by PCM analysis. The use of TEM on 2 samples which initially were above the PEL of 0.1 fibers per cc resulted in a reduction to at least 0.016 fibers per cc. Most results by PCM analysis have been well below the PEL of 0.1 fibers /cc.

Bulk samples were collected in FDNY vehicles during the month of January to assist the department with an evaluation of contamination. All of these samples had results which were below the detection limit.

Carbon Monoxide Results for 44 personal exposure samples ranged from 0 to 4 ppm as a time weighted average, well below the PESH PEL of 35 ppm. Peak measurements reached 97 ppm on a personal monitor, still well below the ceiling limit of 200 ppm.

Silica Personal sampling (17 samples) results have shown most exposures to be below the detection limit for respirable silica with all exposures well below the PESH PEL of 0.1 mg/m3

Metals Personal samples (37) collected show all exposures to be below the PESH PELS. Metals analyzed included lead, copper, manganese, molybdenum, magnesium, cadmium, nickel, iron, aluminum, zinc, and cobalt.

Surface wipe samples in some of the FDNY’s response vehicles were taken to assist the department with an evaluation of contamination of vehicles which had responded to the WTC site during the first few days of the disaster. These results are included in the data spreadsheet.

Volatile organics All personal sampling results have been well below PESH limits for 32 screening samples collected for volatile organics. These samples included analyses for the following: acetone, benzene, ethyl benzene, butyl alcohol.

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