WTC Daily Report Memo, Oct 17, 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

Fax: ■ Oct 17 2001 22:14 P. 03 ..J-'- iC-'l'z'Ol iT;2i FAI 2ZS .33T 23'1 USDOL OSH.'V 0 OOlz'OOl

05HA SAMPLING RESULTS SUMMARY AS OF 1O/16)'Q1

Asbestos: A total of 473 air iaonitoring samples for asbestos have been token, from 9/13 '9/22, 177 sample's ware latsn in tSs fiainciai ^strict They wc*« taken on OSH.A. personnel as they walked widiiii certain prcdcismiinsd zones. Results revaaled asbestos conceiisr3iion.9 rangiag ftom ND ic .037 fee., well below CSKA’s permissible • exposure limit of .1 Sbc. .After 9/22, sampliag focused on iha rubbl.“. pile (the keystone area of the map) where 32 of 210 samslcs exceeded OSHa’s iiraic via PCM analysis. However, upon ftlrtherr analysis usias discrinunating counting rusthods aniur TEM analysis, the number of asbesto.t fibers found droppsd dramaricitliv to below detectable love’s or well below .1 f'cc, ... Sampling st Pie: if where trucks carrying debris are being off leaded by crane to barge revealed co detectable asbestos

Carboa Moaosids; Thirty one personal sacipls? for workers CR the nibble pile showed results rangmg from 1 ppra to ^4 ppm well below the OSrLA. 50 ppm peraiissifcle exposure limit Noise: OSHA lias bee.ti conducting noise monitoring in the rubble pile (die keystone area of rhe map). Three personal sarapias have been ocniuotcd on employees pcrfcmiing (or working nearl various operatioas suck as jack hararaering. Employee's s.vposuie to noise ranged from S8 d3A to 39 dBA. OSHA’s pemiissmle noise exposure limit for coastTJcpoa is SO dSA. Silica: As o; October 16“, the overTCelmiug majoiity of the 155 silica samples show no detecubU levels of airborne silica. The Ijighest samrle result was apuroximateiy'twice fas OSfvb limit, whereas the next highsst level v/as less th-an half O' mis limit Both cf these levels were found on personnel worijng in die meblepilA am area where OSHA continues to encourage the use of rcspiratoty protootion. Volatile Organic CoBipounds: At of October 16*. OSHA has taken 120 sanplea for voiaole orgaaic compounds iyoCi) such as aceuldehyde, actyloultrile, aoro'eia, benzens, i-butanouc, chlorodipfesnyl (PCB), d;o<xw, ethyl baazme, .formaldehyde, hexcce, isocyanates, perchloroethyleue, styrene, toluene, u-ichioiocthyieue, vinyl chloride snd xylene. Scfeenuig samples initially showed skyatsd levels of seme orKsme chemicals rejulnag from the fires burning in the rubble pile. Subsequent personal samples a: VreafLiag zone leva! g^d area samples show worker exposure kvsls to be below OSHA limits, However, one personal sample result for benzene wai foumd at the 3hr OSHA allowable Umit conceatrstioo of Ippm. This expesure was found on a backhoe operator moving debris on the pile. Metals; OSHA has taken 218 air suiaplc.*; to oxcoitor worker exposures to dusts, fumes, oxides, and other compounds oftnaiais such as acdiuouv, beryilium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, lead, nnHng,aaese. molybdcuttm; nickel, vwadi’jni. 2aoc, cadmium., magnesium, arsenic, and mercury. Results from these samples are .generally well below the applicable OSHA limits. However, torch cuttmg and burning structural steel at the pile have resulted in instances of over-exMsifft as follows: copper (6); iron oxide (5); lead (1); and cadmium (3). Accordingly, OSHA ii reconimBuding that workers engaged in these operations continue to wear appropriate respiratory protection,

Other Analysis; OSHA^ has sampled for dioxia, isocyanates, pclyaucleated aromatics ar.d oxides of citrogcQ, Analysis is pending.

NYC-WTC_000154469