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UC Davis News a Information :: Trade Center Air Held Unprecotented Amounts of F^ge 1 of 4

Ne □I I Facts & Figures This service is providei News Service, 530 UC Davis Experts Semli SearciVArchlves Current News Agriculture Busir>ess/Govemmerit/ Law Trade Center Air Heid Unprecedented Amounts of Very Fine Particies, Ed Campus News Silicon, Sulfates, Metals, Say UC Davis Scientists Engineenng Seii Health February 11,2002 SesneaNews Social Sdencos/ ArtsMjmanlties in the most thorough analysis yet of the dust and smoke blown through lower Manhattan after the collapse o Trade Center, researchers at the University of Califomia, Davis, today described unprecedented clouds of vr Veterinary Medicine particles that should be considered in evaluating rescue workers' and residents' health problems. UC Davis in the News Publications Based on their findings, the UC Davis researchers also recommended specific cleaning methods for contam UC Davis Magazine apartments, offices, schools and other indoor spaces. Datsitne UC Davis California Aggie *No one has ever reported a situation like the one we see in the World Trade Center samples,* said UC Davi Broadcast Thomas Cahill, Ph.D., an international authority on the constituents and transport of airborne particles. The NewaWateh Ground Zero was laden with extremely high amounts of very small particles, probably associated with high t the underground debris pile. Normally, in New York City and in most of the world, situations like this just don Special Programming UCTV Cahill, a UC Davis professor emeritus of physics and atmospheric sciences and a research professor in app Rested News heads the UC Davis DELTA Group (for Detection and Evaluation of Long-range Transport of Aerosols), a co UC Gains Athletics association of aerosol scientists at several universitios and national laboratories. The DELTA Group has ma UC t3avis Health studies of aerosols from the 1991 Gulf War oil fires, volcanic eruptions, global dust storms, and most recent!' System UC News Wire The Manhattan air samples were collected at the request of a U.S. Department of Energy scientist from Oct Newsservices December, by a DELTA Group air monitor placed on a rooftop at 201 Varick St, one mile north-northeast of center complex.

The samples were collected continuously in eight separate size modes from coarse (12 micrometers dlamett (0.09 micrometers diameter). Regional meteorology showed that the site at Varick Street could have receive the World Trade Center site about half the time.

The samples were periodically shipped back to Davis, where the DELTA Group analyzed the samples for si: composWon. They used a suite of seven techniques Including synchrotron-induced X-ray fluorescence (at D Light Source at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory), scanning transmission Ion microscopy and proton elastic sc analysis (at DOE's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory), and soft beta mass measurements and scanni microscopy (at UC Davis).

"The UC Davis DELTA Growl's ability to measure and analyze parttde size, composition and time continuou night Is unequaled,* Cahill said.

Ail analyses were done on a volunteer basis and will be available as public documents. We report today on t Oct. 2 through Oct. 31,2001.

Airborne particles and human health

In general, there are myriad ways that materials released into the air can affect human health. What the part of matters; so do size, shape and quantity.

The DELTA team analyzed the samples for the unique cherrtcal and physical signatures of dozens of sutete inchiding elements from concrete and glass, such as silicon; from burning fuel oil, such as sulfur, vanadium i from burning computers and electrical systems, such as lead. They also looked for organic, or carbon-based from burning wood, plastic and carpets. And they tested for glass shards and asbestos.

Some of these materials are known to cause health problems in some people when they are inhaled in suffi< Sulfur, for example, can irritate lung tissues. Lead can damage the central nervous system. Some carbon-be compounds can cause cancer. So can the rmnerEd asbestos.

Just as the composition of inhaled particies can affect health, so can size.

http://www-pubcomm.ucdavis.edu/default.lasso?-database=news_db.ftnp_a-layou1 2/11/2002

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