NYC-WTC_000230857

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

Submitted to American Industrial Hygiene Association. October 2, 2001

Brief Communication; Technical Note

Preliminary Health Hazard Assessment: World Trade Center

R. Hugh Granger, Ph.D., Cll 1 Thomas R. McKee, Ph.D. James R. Millette, Ph.D. Piotr Chmielinski, M.S., Cll 1 George Pineda, Cl 1P

(1) Toxicologist and Laboratory Director, HP Environmental, Inc., 104 Elden Street, Herndon, Virginia 20170 (2) Compliance Officer, Scientific Laboratories, Inc., 13635 Genito Road, Midlothian, Virginia 23112 (3) Executive Director, MVA, Inc., 5500 Oakbrook Parkway #200, Norcross, Georgia 30093 (4) Director of Industrial Hygiene Services, HP Environmental, Inc., 104 Elden Street, Herndon, Virginia 20170 (5) Project Executive, ET Environmental, Inc., 3424 Peachtree Road, NE, Suite 200, Atlanta, Georgia 30326

Abstract

Measurement of highly respirable asbestos aerosols inside intact building sh-uctures that are contaminated with residue produced during the collapse of the World Trade Center towers indicate a potential for elevated air concentrations of asbestos fibers under some conditions. The data suggest a greater potential for worker exposure to asbestos within building structures than previously reported for outdoor rescue and recovery work in the area around the World Trade Center. The data presented suggest that the unique set of conditions surrounding the fire and subsequent collapse of the WTC towers has created an asbestos fiber size distribution not previously encountered in an area of potential exposure to such a large segment of non-industrial population. The data illustrate the importance of careful selection and execution of routine laboratory methods for the identification and enumeration of airborne asbestos fibers.

Introduction

Shortly after the September 11, 2001 fire and catastrophic collapse of several office towers at the World Trade Center (WTC) in New York City, Health Hazard Assessments were conducted and continue to be conducted by public and private industrial hygiene investigators. Preliminary communications from investigators have consistently reported

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NYC-WTC_000230857