Ambient Dust Sampling Protocol Near WTC, Oct 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

’^**WJtAFT Version 10, October 29, 2001****

Information from residents support the need to further assess potential indoor and outdoor environmental health issues. Burning throats have been reported to be a common problem in the recently re-occupied residential areas. Residents in south Battery Park City, whose windows were open at the time of the WTC collapse, have settled dust in their homes. Some have disposed of furniture, stereo equipment, etc., because they were covered with “ash and dust.” Homes in part of the Tribeca zone (Chambers Street to Murray Street, west of Broa ’way) are not yet occupied, but were reported to have roofs covered with hand-sized chunks of insulation-like material that contain small pieces of mica-like material. In addition, the mica-like material has clogged roof drains and resulted in standing pools of water on residential roof tops.

IL Sampling Objective:

The overall objective of this sampling is to provide results upon which public health agencies can further determine the potential for environmental exposures to WTC collapse-related materials and possible health implications of the exposures. Sampling will characterize ambient and indoor airborne and potentially airborne particles (surface dust) in residential areas of lower Manhattan from the collapse of the World Trade Center. Specifically, the objective is:

Characterize the make-up and size distribution of settled dust and airborne breathing zone dust in residential areas-both indoors and outside-near the WTC. This information will be used to further determine if materials are present in air at levels of public health concern; and if materials are present in settled surface dust that can be re-entrained and result in continued exposures.

Sample locations will be selected in a concentric circle pattern, starting close to the WTC and ending in neighboring boroughs. Section V, Residence Selection/Sampling rationale, of this protocol describe: this approach.

Note: The sampling object!ve/approach is focused on contaminants that emanated from the collapse of the WTC towers and that might cause health problems. However, this investigation will not be able to conclude if contaminants/materials are actually from the disaster. The contaminants that have been selected for testing might be present in some areas from other sources. Examples include: cooking on a stove top can increase indoor airborne particulate matter; vehicle exhaust can increase outdoor airborne particulate matter; recent home renovation can result in an increase in levels of gypsum, fiberglass, etc. in the air and surface dust.

III. Data and Quality Assurance:

Co-located samples will be collected in 10% of the air samples. While not a true duplicate, evaluation of the results will provide some information on the quality of the sampling technique. Generally, analysis of duplicate samples should be within +/- 20% of each other.

Page 2 of

NYC-WTC_000153259