DEP advisory to residents regarding WTC dust, Oct 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

SEP-25-2|31 03:IIP FROM: 70:17185954544 P:e^4 •7 r

Because some asbestos ’ vis used in tlic building of the World Tmdc Center, City', State, and Federal agencies have been collecting dust, debris, and air samples since the World Trade Comer collapse -As e-yp^ted, some asbestos was found in a tew- of die dust nnd debris samples taken from the blast site and individuals work! i>g in this area Iwve been advised to take precautions. However, iiiost Of the air samples taken have been below levels of coiicem. Based on the asbestos tcsl results received llms rar, there aie no .vignificam iicallli risks to occupants in the affected area or to the general public In general, asbeslos-relaled lung disease results only- fiwm intense asbestos exposure experienced over a period ttf. many y ears, primarily as a consequence of occupational exposures ihe nsk of developing an a&besios-related illness following an exposure of short duration, even to high levels, is exueraely low .

shouid r Jo nith/infj left in rr^’ apartment?

The power milage m much of lower Manhatian may have caused tefrigerated and frozen food to sp<.iil. Raw or wxrked meat, poultry and seafood, milk and nulk-cctuUining products, eggs, nuyonnaisc and creamy dressings, and cooked foods should be thrown out if power was out for tw'o or iriorc hours. Frozen foods that luve thawed should be thrown away Do not re-freeze thawed food.

Throw- away any food that may- have been MnUmiinated with dust, except for food in cans. jars, or containers with tight-fitting lids. Wash cans and jars with water and w ipe it clean. Whmi it comes to food ick in your building ijirt doubt, throw it out.

How should I ehtan the Just in apartmertt when I move haeJt in?

The be?’ way to remove dust is to use a wet mg ot wet mop. Sweeping with a dry broom is not recommended liecwiv !t can niakt- dust jurborac again Where dust is thick, you can directly wet the diisi with water, and remove n with wet mgs and mops. Dirty rags can be rinsed under nnuuug water, being careful to not leave diLSt in the sink to dry IMien dene. u.scd rags and mops should be put In plastic bags wlrilc they are still wet and bags should be sealed and discarded. Cloth rags should be washoi separately from other laundry Wa.sh heavily soiled or dusty clollun;; or linens twice Remove lim from washing n^'hlnee and fillers in the dryers with each laundry load. Rags should not be allowed to dry out before bagging and disposal or washing. To reduce dust recirculation, llic Health Departiucrt recommends uwiigHEPA {high efliciency pardciilaie air) filtration vacuums when cleaning up apartments, if possible If'.'i HEPA vwcuum is not avtolablc. it is recomnicnded 1 that either HEPA bags or dust allergen bags be used with your regular vacuum. If these opuons arc not available. wetting down the dust and removing it as described above is recommended

Carpets and upholster) can be shampooed and then vacumued.

If your apartment is very dusty , you should wash or HEPA vacuum your cmlains. If curtains need to be taken down, take them down slowly to keep dust from ciiculating in the air. To clean plants, rinse leaves with water Pels can be washed with running water froui a hose or faucet: Iheii paws slioold be wiped Iv avoid tracking dust inside the home

How can I remove Ju^from the air? Air purifiers may help reduce indoor dust levels HEPA air purifiers are superior to other models in filtetug the smallest particles Air purifiers are only usefiil for removing dust from the air. They will not remove dust already' deposited on floors, shelves, upholstery or rugs. Keep w indows closed when using an air purifier

Additional recouuuendations include

Keep outdoor dust from entering the home; Keep windows dosed; Set the air comhUouer to re-circiilaie ait (closed vents), and clean or change the filter frequently ; Remove shoes before entering the home for <3verad days (once you first make sure Ibere is no broken glass) > Avoid sweeping ur other outdoor maintenance.

For more inronuation, call Hie Health Department’s General infonuaiion Line at (212) 213 -1844 or visit our website at oycRov/hcalth.

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