NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document
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Summary of Asbestos Sampling Results
88 Greenwich St., New York, N.Y. 10006
Date sampled: November 19,2001
Four locations were sampled at your building: inside two private residences, the lobby, and a
nearby outdoor area (see tables below for sampling results). Air samples were collected in each
of the four locations by using vacuum pumps to draw air past a filter that was suspended at the
height of a person’s breathing level. One additional air sample was collected in the lobby for
quality control purposes.
One settled dust sample was collected at each of the indoor locations. Indoor dust and debris
samples were collected on a filter by vacuuming surfaces. Outdoor dust samples were collected
only when there was visible dust and debris to obtain bulk material. No dust was available for
bulk sampling outside of your building.
The collected material was weighed, viewed under a microscope, and/or chemically processed to
determine the types and quantities of substances present. The materials are being analyzed for
fibers such as asbestos, fiberglass, synthetics (e.g. man-made materials such as nylon and
polyester), cellulose (e.g. cotton, paper), silica, and for other minerals and small particles.
ASBESTOS AIR TEST RESULTS
The air samples tested from directly outside and in the lobby of your building were taken during
normal daily activity. The two air samples from the unoccupied apartments, which had been
cleaned since the World Trade Center collapse, were taken after the dust in the apartment was
aggressively “stirred up” to ensure that an accurate sample of particles would be present. All air
samples were examined in a laboratory for fibers using the Phase Contrast Microscopy (PCM)
method.
Results of all of the air samples taken from your building were below the standard set for indoor
air quality - 0.01 fibers per cubic centimeter (f/cc) (see tables below). The highest level of fibers
in the air at your building was 0.003 fZcc, found in an unoccupied residence. All of the air levels
sampled in your building are similar to the air results from buildings located above 59*^ Street,
which are not expected to have been impacted by WTC materials. In the homes above 59* Street,
levels of fibers found in the air ranged from less than 0.001 fZcc to 0.003 f/cc.
Airborne fibers as determined by PCM analysis: An air sample is collected by pulling air
through a filter. The filter catches fibers and is sent to a laboratory to determine the number of
fibers in the air. Phase contrast microscopy identifies fibers based on size and shape, but not the
specific type of fiber. Therefore, the fibers seen by PCM include asbestos fibers as well as other
fibers, such as textiles, fiberglass, and cellulose, which might be present in your home. The PCM
analysis assumes that all fibers present were asbestos. Therefore, less hazardous fibers that may
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