Community questions on building cleaning issues, Oct 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

• A Mt Sinai physician testified that he has seen patients 7 blocks from WTC with significant health effects (upper respiratory stress, asthma, etc.). What does that mean for other nearby residents downwind from the. site?

• Do residents need to see a respiratory specialist for air exposure cone rns?

B. Chlldien • is It safe for children to breathe the air? Since they have------- smaller lungs and their bodies are still developing, do the standards for determining the health effects of toxins in the air take into account children’s «ityslcal 'development?

• Different pediatricians arp giving different assessments of the impact on children? What is DOH’s position?

• In the indoor air testing why did we sample the air at adult breathing levels and not lower levels where young children breathe? (The Mt. Sinai doctor’s testimony indicated that we should be more concerned about children’s exposures and that we aren’t doing enough)

C. Asbestos

■ The indoor study found the presence of asbestos in the dust Doesn’t it take only one fiber of asbestos lodged in a lung tc cause disease, and if so aren’t we all at increased risk for disease?

• Don’t we risk inhaling asbestos even if we wet clean and HEPAvac since the small fibers escape?

• Can toddlers Ingest/inhale small asbestos fibers if they crawl on the rugs and floor (even though they have been cleaned)?

D. Communication with Local Health Providers

• Doctors are prescribing antibiotics for the WTC cough. Is this a proper treatment?

• What advice is the Health Department giving to local doctors?

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