Fine particle health risk report, Jan 2002

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

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Risks of Air Near Ground Zero Still Unclear By Jared Sajoeerc posed to shdp-uan bursts of coflUmiBants: bleeds that lower Manhattan residents have j -Sro;/ Keport^r 0/ THS WaU. STMiT JnUKNAt much of the toowij research focuses on long- oomplaihed of. They can also.be coughed out A group of eifvironmcatal researchers term exposures. or Altered by the human nose. But particles found that potentially tlangerous concentra­ Says Lung Chi Cn«n. a professor of envl- 2.5 nucrometers and smaller can penetraie tions of very fine particles were released renmental medictoe st New York Univer- deeply into th? lungs end enter the hlood- after the collapse of the World Trade Ginter. sity: “If a person has pre-existing [heart or stream, i But their study, possibly the most compre­ respiratory'; disease, he may have some UC Davis scientists said the very fine hensive yet, sheds little U»ht on the health higher risk of exacerbating the condition, particles contain^ lower levels of dangerous j risks asEoaated with s:<posure to such tiny B'jt for people who are healthy, it may not metals such as lead and mercury than they particle.^. hsve that much risk'’ snticlpatetl Mostly, the tiny particles con- lltough the air dowfitown has greatly im­ UC Davis scientists also said In^roper Uined high levels of sulfuric acid, which 1^. . C proved. scientists at the University of Califor­ cleanups risk re-su^nsion of ootitamSnants CahfU charactetod as '•pretty harmless" be-'. ; < nia, Davis, said yesterday that "extremely in the air, They recommended wet clean- cause the lungs can dissolve it In mucous high amounts" of very small oarticlss were ing-ustog mops and rags to remove dust and sweep it away. But other environmental • I C collected in October at a test site a mile rather than vacuums or brooms. They also speciahsls say it can be irritating and help . L5 north of the World Trade Center. The Savl- rorjnental Protection Agency doesn't have .safety thresholds for fley particisa. Fan ths a..r! r ■■■rr. Sij larger pertides msosuring recotrenended that furniture fabrics, which can trap dust, be .steam cleaned. The air-quality issue was front-andro.'n- ter yesterday to a .senate subcamnuttee hear- tocroducs other harmful, materials into the bloodstream. The.re were also high readings of siHcon. Mr. Cahill says that silicon doesn't dissolTc 2.5 mien .o: shouiln’t exceed €5 im- mg hosted ’downtown by Senato.’s Hillary but stays to the haing of the lung and eventu- crograros per c • ’ :r tn a 2j-Jwur » Rodham Clinton (D.. N.'Y.) and Joseph Lie- ally moves into tfie bloodstream, whlci can I riod to October, UC Da ■.« rest archarc dis- berman (D.. Conn). .Spejjterc Charged the be dangerous. But others, such as NYVs cs-vered us rmetperams per cubie meter to SPA 'rito falsely assuring downtown rest- Prof. Chen, say tha: tiny silicon paniefes about an ho'xr and a half st the test .rite. dets that the. air was ssto to breathe when, aren't harmful, The amount of particles foued “is to fact to fact, the EPA was testing outdoor air ^ual- .Mr. Cahill concedes, "you're into an area very ‘old." said Thoma.': Csjhil’. i Vnlversto)' iiy. toiOT air-quality tests, an EPA regional where we don't kr-cw." of Caiifbmja, DjvSs resemher whv rtsiiies a-dmirdstrator responded, wns New Ywk oirburoa p’riides. The particles Ere from a Qty's re^nslbiii^. variety of substances, some at them toxic Residents have continuously voiced ron- Mr. Oto" .«'Td the casf3ntoatKa> of parid’s cem that govenunent agencies failed to in- 1 to Manhertaa m OcioO-y vu b'gher form them of the health risks since Sept. 11, ] thsjs tox C’l tire? d.u-.r.g the G-Jt haven’t property removed debris and failed War and some cf to? worst ooncc-itreticrs In to force landlords to impletEcnt nwessary I 3 A'iAJ V. era cr.? vs buTied far heat m toe protocols to remove contaminants. Fueling I v'jjtor. their fears is uncertainty from fee scicntiac you 're worse than 3ei;mc And Ku- a'isenuhity, which Iws merer -wimossed this tiiti o3 Cres. then you’re to a new cate­ Itind of eEvironmental disaster. .a gory," said Mr. Cahill. The health risks of exposure to tiny par- I J kxe cdentirts ceuticn the/ such mfor- ticulate matter aren't well I.arger v mation doesn't meaxi that there are serio'js rticics, roughly IC mis - 5 in site. > health ccmse^^uences. Most people were ex- can cause the kinds of cougl.;, r^d cose- C 5

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