Smoky Air Near WTC Poses Health Risks
People with chronic lung diseases such as asthma and emphysema may experience attacks up to two days after exposure to "smoke and grit" from the collapsed World Trade Center, and those who have already been treated for smoke inhalation could see their symptoms get worse before they get better, the AP/Washington Times reports. Breathing smoky air "would be enough to set off somebody who has lung disease," Dr. Mark Siegel, an assistant professor of medicine at the Yale School of Medicine, said, adding that even those who were not in the immediate area surrounding the Trade Center are at risk. Those already treated for smoke inhalation may see their symptoms -- which can include shortness of breath, coughing and chest pain -- worsen over the next four days as their lungs become inflamed by rising fluid, Siegel said. He added that those who "are OK now are probably going to stay that way." People with heart disease or who were otherwise already in "frail" health also face an increased risk of heart attacks or congestive heart failure from the debris. Those in the immediate area during the collapse could also develop pneumonia or an "asthma-like syndrome" within 24 hours, Dr. Neil Schachter, medical director for respiratory care at New York's Mount Sinai Hospital, said. He added that the condition is possibly fatal, but is more likely to lead to a "chronic condition resembling asthma."
Asbestos
Other than the smoke, asbestos is the "primary environmental concern," EPA Administrator Christie Whitman said. Three asbestos tests conducted by the EPA found "minimal or no" airborne asbestos in the area surrounding the collapsed buildings; a fourth test did find "significant" levels of asbestos, Whitman said. She said that the agency will continue testing. Asbestos-related cancer is usually caused by prolonged exposure to the material, although a large one-time exposure can lead to a type of cancer known as mesothelioma. The EPA said it does not foresee any permanent environmental damage as a result of the collapse.
Water Supply Safe
Experts also said yesterday that germs that may result from any decomposing bodies under the debris do not threaten the safety of Manhattan's water supply. Manhattan gets its water from outside of the island. "As long as people use normal sanitary precautions in handling the corpses and normal sanitation of clean water and food, there is no infectious risk related to the corpses," Dr. Richard Forthingham of Duke University and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Durham, N.C., said (AP/Washington Times, 9/13).
