NYC DOH WTC disaster health Q&A fact sheet, Sep 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

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Based on the asbestos air test results \ the risk for disease from asbestos exposure in the community near the WTC is very low. Asbestos exposure does not cause immediate symptoms and short-term exposure cannot be detected by routine medical tests, such as physical exams, blood work or chest x-rays, it takes at least 15- 20 years to see any symptoms or disease related to asbestos exposure^ but Aperts believe that the levels of exposure to asbestos are low enough that the likelihood of developing disease from the limited, short-term exposures associated with the WTC incident is very small.

For the general public, working and/or living in the surrounding area, DEP issued guidance to building management or the building owner on what must be done to deem J5- a building safe for re-occupancy. These DEP guidelines are still in effect. The DOH । issued cleaning guidance for residents of buildings that were deemed to be safe for re^ occupancy. This information can be found at nyc.gov/health. b€li<U.-tc sX' While the risk for asbestos-related illness is thought to be very low, lt4s-stiH-pFudenM0- take clean-up precautions to fi'rther reduce any unnecessary exposures. These simple steps include the following: wet wipir.j and mopping dusty surfaces, using a HEPA- filtered vacuum if possibU, and removing shoes before entering homes to reduce tracking dust indoors. These precautions should be taken until the demolition and clean up at the WTC is completed.

What is fiberglass, and what are its potential adverse health effects? Fiberglass is the trade name for a man-made mineral fiber that also may be called fibrous glass or glass wool. Fiberglass can be found in many different consumer products. In the past it was used for home furnace filters and insulation. Today it is used to insulate pipes and appliances, for sound control in aircraft and automobiles, and in curtains, roofing materials and reinforced plastics. I Fiberglass may have been used in the construction of the WTC. Extensive air monitoring to date has indicated that fiber concentration in air— including asbestos and I fiberglass — is low.

High levels of occupational exposure to fiberglass fibers may cause skin irritation and itching. It may also cause upper respiratory tract irritation and may aggravate asthma or bronchitis. These are temporary conditions and are unlikely to occur for people in the community given the low concentrations of fibers in the air around the disaster area. I What is the illness being referred to in newspapers as '^WTC Cough?" I t The terminology “WTC Cough” has been used to refer to a condition identified in people who may have developed a persistent cough and other respiratory symptoms related to working at or near the WTC site. Physicians in the community have described such a cough among individuals wh^ /orked at the site within the first few days after the I disaster when smoke and exposure conditions were most intense. Workers on the debris pile have been instructed to wear the appropriate personal protective equipment including respirators, to prevent injuries or adverse health effects.

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