DEP Invoice or Financial Record, September 30, 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

Invisible threat: Air we breathe ■The age and the history of the Dozens of other compounds were released into the atmosphere buildings also influences the po­ as the buildings. collapsed and ■ Health experts say tential health impact. burned, however. Many of the ma­ the risks to “Each accident is going to be terials that burned, including" unique,” said Dr. Dorsett D. Smith, carpeting, polyvinyl chloride survivorsand a pulmonologist and clinical pro­ (PVC) pipes, telephone and com­ rescuers are not as fessor of medicine at the Univer­ puter cables and insulation, pose a sity of Washington Medical potential hazard. dire as initially School. “Because of the makeup of Strangely, smoke from the orig-. that building, the dust will be dif­ feared, but ferent than the dust of [another] inal fire may have been the least hazardous by-product of the disas­ precautions are building.” ter. Exposure to asbestos, originally Because it involved jet fuel, still urged used as a fire retardant in the which bums at extremely high Twin Towers, is of particular con­ temperatures, the smoke was rd- cern. atively clean initially compared By DIANA YATES Borough environmental engi­ ADVANCE STAFFWBITK to the smoldering fires that came neer Nicholas Dmytrysz\Ti, a for­ later, said Dmytryszyn, A plume of smoke and airborne mer environmental consultant “It’s the smoldering fire that debris hovers over Lower Manhat­ who monitored asbestos may be more dangerous than the tan like a ghost, heightening con­ abatement work in the World original blast,” he said. cerns about the potential long­ Trade Center, said much of the original asbestos was removed as A less intense fire only partially term health effects of the World consumes whatever is fueling it, Trade Center disaster. different parts of the building were rehabilitated. But, he said, releasing high concentrations of Wind shifts since Tuesday have small particles and other pollu­ at times sent smoke toward Staten the process of abatement was not complete. tants into the air, he said. In the Island, where the acrid scent has days since the attack the smoke been detected on the North Shore “I’m sure there’s still areas of over Manhattan has changed color and even in some Mid-Island the Trade Center that have not un­ many times, darkening when nu­ neighborhoods. dergone renovation in the last 20 merous low-grade fires flared up. Respiratory health experts say years,” he said. To the relief of government offi­ Both Dmytryszyn and Dr. Smith the risks to those who survived the said burning plastics, vinyl and attack and those contributing to cials, however, levels of asbestos in the air were fairly low after the other synthetic products may al^ ' the cleanup are not as dire as ini­ release gases that can be dangers tially feared. The state Depart­ blast. City-Department of Envi- OUS. ment of Enviroiunental Protec­ J ronmental Protection spokesman tion and federal Environmental “Some of these gases are- Protection Agency have been test­ Charles Sturcken said air monitor­ heavier than air and may become ing air quality at Ground Zero, ing revealed that asbestos levels trapped in underground spaces," and have so far shown levels of as­ near the trade center “were said Dr. Smith. Workers may be at bestos below the threshold of con­ slightly elevated” above federal risk when a door is opened. There cern, according to a city Health air quality standards. may be no oxygen in these com­ Department release issued yester­ About 10 blocks away, asbestos partments, or the toxic gases may­ readings were at the maximum be highly concentrated, he said. day. But experts urge all New York­ level allowed, he said, and were Once the gases are released to ers to continue to take precautions not considered a danger to public the atmosphere they are quickly to protect themselves, including health. diluted and pose no threat, he said. keeping windows in nearby office Dr. Smith said the type of asbes­ Short-term exposure to diluted buildings closed. tos used in the trade center, called smoke or airborne particles is not The potential health conse­ chrysotile, is the least dangerous especially worrisome, said Dr. quences of the explosions, fires form of the material. Smith. and building collapses that fol­ “A person must be exposed to “There’s more of a potential lowed the terrorist attack vary extremely high concentrations {of problem for people who — for one with time and location, experts chrysotile] for. a number of years reason or another — stay in the say. The initial blast, smoke from . to develop lung disease,” he said. area for hours or days,” he said. the extremely hot — and still “We don’t think it’s likely that this smoldering — fires and the air­ particular exposure is going to borne particles all have differing have long-term consequences.” effects on respiratory function.

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