9/11 World Trade Center: Asbestos Exposure and Health Effects
Toxic asbestos and other carcinogens flooded NYC during the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. First responders, survivors and residents exposed to the dust are developing health effects such as respiratory diseases and cancer. Two decades after foreign terrorists attacked Americans on U.S. soil, the impact of Sept. 11, 2001, is still being felt today.
Asbestos Exposure and the Toxic Plume
The collapse of the twin towers on Sept. 11, 2001, released a toxic plume across lower Manhattan. It contained 400 tons of pulverized asbestos and other hazardous materials. The attacks exposed an estimated 410,000 to 525,000 people to toxic dust. This number includes more than 90,000 workers involved in the rescue, recovery and cleanup efforts. Carcinogens from building materials, gases and jet fuel laced the air around each crash site, with the most severe toxicity among the ruins of the World Trade Center towers in New York City.
World Trade Center Dust Composition
The composition of the WTC dust contained pulverized glass and concrete, gypsum from drywall, asbestos fibers, steel and cellulose from paper. The following table illustrates the specific percentages of materials found in the dust:
| Material | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Nonfibrous construction materials | 50% |
| Glass and other fibers | 40% |
| Cellulose from disintegrated paper | 9.2% |
| Asbestos | 0.8% |
The Source of Asbestos
During the World Trade Center construction in the late 1960s and early 1970s, developers commonly used asbestos in construction materials to strengthen and resist heat. Builders incorporated a variety of asbestos-containing materials. The intense fires that brought the towers down continued to smolder at Ground Zero until Dec. 14, 2001, over four months after the attack.
Physical and Mental Health Impacts
Exposure to contaminated air and toxic chemicals created a growing list of health concerns for many of the men and women who were there, with some illnesses such as mesothelioma taking approximately 20 years to develop. Since the 9/11 attacks, more than 63,000 WTCHP registered members have developed one or more medical conditions stemming from their exposure. Respiratory and digestive issues are the most commonly reported.
- Chronic rhinosinusitis: This condition tops the list of reported illnesses with almost 33,000 current cases among first responders and survivors.
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): This is the second-most commonly diagnosed illness with over 29,000 cases.
The traumatic events on 9/11 and the recovery efforts that followed had a major impact on the mental health of thousands of people involved. Currently, more than 19,000 members of the WTCHP have been officially diagnosed with one or more mental health conditions. Almost 13% of police officers enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Registry were still experiencing PTSD symptoms 10 to 11 years after the attacks.
Ongoing Risks and Death Toll
To date, more people have now died from this toxic exposure than in the 9/11 attacks. Although 2,974 people lost their lives that day, 4,343 survivors and first responders have died in the years since, according to the World Trade Center Health Program. Hundreds of thousands of people remain at risk due to the trauma and exposure to toxic air following each attack. While news of ongoing and serious health issues has surfaced, many people still underestimate the scale of the crisis; the correct number of first responders diagnosed with at least one medical condition is actually at least 63,500.