NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document
sensitive individuals in the general population who are exhibiting
these short term health effects.
• Do residents need to see a physician that is a respiratory
specialist for air exposure concerns?
If you are experiencing difficulty breathing or have symptoms that
are different than what you’ve experienced before, you should seek
medical attention. This person does not necessarily need to be a
respiratory specialist.
B. Children
• 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 physical development?
We agree the children are more vulnerable to environmental
conditions. However, the air standards being used for
environmental monitoring are designed to protect more sensitive
populations including children and the elderly.
• Different pediatricians are giving different assessments of the
impact on children? What is DOH’s position?
Every child/patient has unique genetic, physical and emotional
reactions with some being more sensitive than others. The DOH
cannot respond to individual patient symptoms. Individuals should
seek medical attention if they are experiencing adverse health
effects. The Mt. Sinai Pediatric Environmental Health Unit can
also be contacted at www.mssm.edu/cpm/peds_environ.shtml or
called at 1-866-265-6201.
• 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)
The method used in the WTC Indoor Air Sampling Project was a
standard method used for the general public. There should not be
a significant difference in capturing what is in the air at those
different breathing zones.
C. Asbestos
• The indoor study found the presence of asbestos in the dust.
NYC-WTC_000142746
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