Declining Lung Function In Ground Zero Workers

The September 11th attacks on the United States continue to have lingering effects for many Americans, especially for first responders and Ground Zero workers on the scene. In all, experts estimate tens of thousands of men and women responded to the site in the first weeks following the attacks. The overwhelming majority have since suffered from varying degrees of declining lung function believed to be directly tied to the events of September 11th.

The toxic debris that was released into the air when the North and South towers collapsed is most often linked to the upper respiratory illnesses that many workers suffer from today. The debris was a cocktail of dangerous substances, including jet fuel, cement, asbestos, glass and heavy metals (Wu et al., 2010). Those who were first on the scene immediately following the planes colliding into the towers tend to suffer from the most severe health effects.

In 2010, the Office of Medical Affairs at the New York City Fire Department examined about thirteen thousand Ground Zero workers and evaluated their health and, in particular, their lung function following exposure to World Trade Center debris. The study found all suffered from some degree of lung impairment (Aldrich et al., 2010). Researchers reported an average decline in lung function of about ten percent, with those who were first on the scene of the attacks suffering the most irreversible damage. Overall, approximately forty percent of those evaluated experienced chronic symptoms related to poor lung performance, including persistent coughing and sore throats, while about one thousand are classified as having a permanent respiratory disability.

Findings from the New York City Department of Health support the notion that Ground Zero workers are suffering from failing lung function they would likely not being experiencing if they had avoided the September 11th site. Most symptoms arose within the first year following the attack and have not subsided. According to health officials in New York, four times as many firefighters and two times as many emergency responders had worsening and below-average lung performance following the collapse. Most were not smokers, and those who did not smoke suffered more lung damage than those who actively used cigarettes (Farley, n.d.).

In addition to lung disease, research suggests Ground Zero workers are also more likely to develop lung cancer, though the findings are not conclusive. Zeig-Owens et al. (2011) examined male firefighters who had and had not been exposed to the debris of the collapsing towers. Researchers discovered Ground Zero fighters are nineteen percent more likely to develop cancer compared to colleagues who were not exposed to the toxins and debris. While the study found an increase in cancer among Ground Zero workers, researchers caution that more time must pass in order to be certain that the cancer is not being caused by unrelated factors.

After lengthy legal battles, the federal government finally agreed in 2012 to cover treatment for certain types of cancers for those who were exposed to the deadly debris cocktails. That was a reversal from the government’s previous position, which contended that there was not enough evidence to suggest the toxins of September 11th could be responsible for causing cancer. (CNN Wire Staff, 2012).

Though the full scope of the impact of exposure to World Trade Center toxins cannot be known for decades, it is undeniable that Ground Zero workers are suffering from contact with the debris. Most have reported symptoms associated with decreased lung performance, and while cancer diagnoses are not moving at the same rate, September 11th firefighters are being treated for cancer at a higher rate than their colleagues who did not respond to the World Trade Center site.

References

Alridch, T.K., Gustave, J., Hall, C.B., Cohen, H.W., Mayris, P.H., Webber, M.P., … Prezant, D.J. (2010). Lung function in rescue workers at the World Trade Center after 7 years. The New England Journal of Medicine, 362, 1263-1272.

CNN Wire Staff. (2012, September 11). 58 cancers receive 9/11 fund coverage. CNN. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/10/health/new-york-wtc-cancer/index.html

Farley, T. (n.d.). 9/11 health - What we know about the health effects of 9/11. Retrieved fromhttp://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/wtc/html/know/know.shtml

Wu, M., Gordon, R.E., Herbert, R., Padilla, M., Moline, J., Mendelson, D.,…Gil, J. (2010). Case report: Lung disease in World Trade Center responders exposed to dust and smoke: Carbon nanotubes found in the lungs of World Trade Center patients and dust samples. Environmental Health Perspectives, 118, 499-504.

Zeig-Owens, R., Webber, M.P., Hall, C.B., Schwartz, T., Jaber, N., Weakley, J.,…Prezant, D.J. (2011). Early assessment of cancer outcomes in New York City firefighters after the 9/11 attacks: An observational cohort study. The Lancet, 378, 898-905.