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DeMarini DM, Warren SH, Brooks LR. Mutagenicity of the organic fraction of World Trade Center dust. ENVIRONMENTAL AND MOLECULAR MUTAGENESIS 2023; 64:16-25. [PMID: 36433931 PMCID: PMC9989947 DOI: 10.1002/em.22519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Most studies of the health effects and chemical characterization of the dust resulting from the catastrophic collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC) on September 11, 2001, have focused on the large inorganic fraction of the dust; however, chemical analyses have identified mutagens and carcinogens in the smaller organic fraction. Here, we determined the mutagenicity of the organic fraction of WTC dust in Salmonella. Only 0.74% of the mass of the particulate matter (PM) <53 μm in diameter was extractable organic matter (EOM). Because the EOM was 10 times more mutagenic in TA100 +S9 than in TA98 +S9 and was negative in TA98 -S9, we inferred, respectively, that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) played a role in the mutagenicity and not nitroarenes. In TA98 +S9, the mutagenic potency of the EOM (0.1 revertant/μg EOM) was within the range of EOMs from air and combustion emissions. However, the EOM-based mutagenic potency of the particles (0.0007 revertants/μg PM) was 1-2 orders of magnitude lower than values from a review of 50 combustion emissions and various air samples. We calculated that 37 PAHs analyzed previously in WTC EOM were 5.4% of the EOM mass and 0.04% of the PM mass; some air contained 0.3 μg WTC EOM/m3 (0.02 μg PAHs/m3 ). Populations exposed to WTC dust have elevated levels of prostate and thyroid cancer but not lung cancer. Our data support earlier estimates that PAH-associated cancer risk among this population, for example, PAH-associated lung cancer, was unlikely to be significantly elevated relative to background PAH exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M. DeMarini
- Biomolecular and Computational Toxicology Division, Center for Computational Toxicology and ExposureOffice of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyResearch Triangle ParkNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Sarah H. Warren
- Biomolecular and Computational Toxicology Division, Center for Computational Toxicology and ExposureOffice of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyResearch Triangle ParkNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Lance R. Brooks
- Homeland Security and Materials Management Division, Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency ResponseOffice of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyResearch Triangle ParkNorth CarolinaUSA
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Shapiro MZ, Wallenstein SR, Dasaro CR, Lucchini RG, Sacks HS, Teitelbaum SL, Thanik ES, Crane MA, Harrison DJ, Luft BJ, Moline JM, Udasin IG, Todd AC. Cancer in General Responders Participating in World Trade Center Health Programs, 2003-2013. JNCI Cancer Spectr 2019; 4:pkz090. [PMID: 32337498 PMCID: PMC7050150 DOI: 10.1093/jncics/pkz090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Revised: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Following the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC), thousands of workers were exposed to an array of toxins known to cause adverse health effects, including cancer. This study evaluates cancer incidence in the WTC Health Program General Responder Cohort occurring within 12 years post exposure. Methods The study population consisted of 28 729 members of the General Responder Cohort enrolled from cohort inception, July 2002 to December 31, 2013. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated with cancer case inclusion and follow-up starting post September 11, 2001 (unrestricted) and, alternatively, to account for selection bias, with case inclusion and follow-up starting 6 months after enrollment in the WTC Health Program (restricted). Case ascertainment was based on linkage with six state cancer registries. Under the restricted criterion, hazard ratios were estimated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models for all cancer sites combined and for prostate cancer. Results Restricted analyses identified 1072 cancers in 999 responders, with elevations in cancer incidence for all cancer sites combined (SIR = 1.09, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02 to 1.16), prostate cancer (SIR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.11 to 1.40), thyroid cancer (SIR = 2.19, 95% CI = 1.71 to 2.75), and leukemia (SIR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.01 to 1.92). Cancer incidence was not associated with any WTC exposure index (composite or individual) for all cancer sites combined or for prostate cancer. Conclusion Our analyses show statistically significant elevations in cancer incidence for all cancer sites combined and for prostate and thyroid cancers and leukemia. Multivariable analyses show no association with magnitude or type of exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moshe Z Shapiro
- World Trade Center Health Program General Responder Data Center, Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Sylvan R Wallenstein
- World Trade Center Health Program General Responder Data Center, Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Christopher R Dasaro
- World Trade Center Health Program General Responder Data Center, Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Roberto G Lucchini
- World Trade Center Health Program General Responder Data Center, Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Henry S Sacks
- World Trade Center Health Program General Responder Data Center, Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Susan L Teitelbaum
- World Trade Center Health Program General Responder Data Center, Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Erin S Thanik
- World Trade Center Health Program General Responder Data Center, Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Michael A Crane
- World Trade Center Health Program Clinical Center of Excellence at Mount Sinai, Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Denise J Harrison
- World Trade Center Health Program Clinical Center of Excellence, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Benjamin J Luft
- World Trade Center Health Program Clinical Center of Excellence, Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University Medical Center, Stony Brook, NY
| | - Jacqueline M Moline
- World Trade Center Health Program Clinical Center of Excellence, Department of Occupational Medicine, Epidemiology and Prevention, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, NY
| | - Iris G Udasin
- World Trade Center Health Program Clinical Center of Excellence, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center, Piscataway, NJ
| | - Andrew C Todd
- World Trade Center Health Program General Responder Data Center, Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
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Huma B, Yadav S, Attri AK. Profile of particulate-bound organic compounds in ambient environment of Srinagar: a high-altitude urban location in the North-Western Himalayas. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2016; 23:7660-7675. [PMID: 26743647 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-5994-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Twenty-four hourly samples of total suspended particulate matter (TSPM) were collected once a week over 17 months in the ambient environment of Srinagar (altitude 1524 m), an urban montane location in the North-Western Himalayas. The samples were analyzed to identify and quantify the presence of diverse organic compounds (OCs) using thermal desorption gas chromatography mass spectroscopy (TD-GCMS). Non-polar organic compounds-n-alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and molecular tracers (retene and nicotine), were detected in the TSPM samples. Molecular diagnostic ratios, derived from the quantified n-alkanes and PAHs in TSPM, assisted in characterization of the contributing sources. Significant variation in the planetary boundary layer height (meters) with change in season (summer to winter) in this region, also, affected the observed variation in the temporal profile of TSPM-bound OCs. TSPM-bound OCs were predominantly contributed from petroleum and biomass combustion; to a lesser extent from biogenic sources. High concentrations of retene and nicotine, known molecular tracers for coniferous wood combustion and tobacco smoke, respectively, were detected in the winter samples. Seasonal variation in TSPM-bound retene corresponded with the periodicity of biomass burning activity in the region. The benzo(a)pyrene equivalent (BAPE) concentrations, a measure for the carcinogenicity of TSPM-bound PAHs was calculated and the value exceeded the prescribed international standards in winter. This finding poses a major health concern for the inhabitants of this region. High BAPE concentration of PAHs during winter was linked to fossil fuel and biomass combustion, where the prevalent meteorology and topography played a synergistic role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Behjat Huma
- School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Shweta Yadav
- School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India
- Department of Environmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Jammu, Bagla (Rahya-Suchani), District Samba, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, 181143, India
| | - Arun K Attri
- School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India.
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Cheng Y, He KB. Uncertainties in observational data on organic aerosol: An annual perspective of sampling artifacts in Beijing, China. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2015; 206:113-121. [PMID: 26160671 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2015.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2015] [Revised: 06/08/2015] [Accepted: 06/12/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Current understanding of organic aerosol (OA) is challenged by the large gap between simulation results and observational data. Based on six campaigns conducted in a representative mega city in China, this study provided an annual perspective of the uncertainties in observational OA data caused by sampling artifacts. Our results suggest that for the commonly-used sampling approach that involves collection of particles on a bare quartz filter, the positive artifact could result in a 20-40 % overestimation of OA concentrations. Based on an evaluation framework that includes four criteria, an activated carbon denuder was demonstrated to be able to effectively eliminate the positive artifact with a long useful time of at least one month, and hence it was recommended to be a good choice for routine measurement of carbonaceous aerosol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Cheng
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
| | - Ke-bin He
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Sources and Control of Air Pollution Complex, Beijing, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Regional Environmental Quality, Beijing, China.
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Loupasakis K, Berman J, Jaber N, Zeig-Owens R, Webber MP, Glaser MS, Moir W, Qayyum B, Weiden MD, Nolan A, Aldrich TK, Kelly KJ, Prezant DJ. Refractory sarcoid arthritis in World Trade Center-exposed New York City firefighters: a case series. J Clin Rheumatol 2015; 21:19-23. [PMID: 25539429 DOI: 10.1097/rhu.0000000000000185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to describe cases of sarcoid arthritis in firefighters from the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) who worked at the World Trade Center (WTC) site. METHODS All WTC-exposed FDNY firefighters with sarcoidosis and related chronic inflammatory arthritis (n = 11) are followed jointly by the FDNY-WTC Health Program and the Rheumatology Division at the Hospital for Special Surgery. Diagnoses of sarcoidosis were based on clinical, radiographic, and pathological criteria. Patient characteristics, WTC exposure information, smoking status, date of diagnosis, and pulmonary findings were obtained from FDNY-WTC database. Joint manifestations (symptoms and duration, distribution of joints involved), radiographic findings, and treatment responses were obtained from chart review. RESULTS Nine of 60 FDNY firefighters who developed sarcoidosis since 9/11/2001 presented with polyarticular arthritis. Two others diagnosed pre-9/11/2001 developed sarcoid arthritis after WTC exposure. All 11 were never cigarette smokers, and all performed rescue/recovery at the WTC site within 3 days of the attacks. All had biopsy-proven pulmonary sarcoidosis, and all required additional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs for adequate control (stepwise progression from hydroxychloroquine to methotrexate to anti-tumor necrosis factor α agents) of their joint manifestations. CONCLUSIONS Chronic inflammatory polyarthritis appears to be an important manifestation of sarcoidosis in FDNY firefighters with sarcoidosis and WTC exposure. Their arthritis is chronic and, unlike arthritis in non-WTC-exposed sarcoid patients, inadequately responsive to conventional oral disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, often requiring anti-tumor necrosis factor α agents. Further studies are needed to determine the generalizability of these findings to other groups with varying levels of WTC exposure or with other occupational/environmental exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantinos Loupasakis
- From the *Hospital for Special Surgery/Weill Cornell Medical College; †Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Brooklyn; ‡Bureau of Health Services, Fire Department of New York, Brooklyn; §Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx; ║Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, New York University School of Medicine; and ¶Division of Rheumatology, New York University School of Medicine, NY
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Methods for characterization of organic compounds in atmospheric aerosol particles. Anal Bioanal Chem 2014; 407:5877-97. [DOI: 10.1007/s00216-014-8394-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2014] [Revised: 11/26/2014] [Accepted: 12/05/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Cheng Y, He KB, Duan FK, Zheng M, Ma YL, Tan JH. Measurement of semivolatile carbonaceous aerosols and its implications: a review. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2009; 35:674-681. [PMID: 19201473 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2008.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2008] [Revised: 11/23/2008] [Accepted: 11/27/2008] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Measurement of carbonaceous aerosols is complicated by positive and negative artifacts. An organic denuder with high efficiency for removing gaseous organics is an effective approach to eliminate the positive artifact, and it is a precondition for the accurate determination of SVOC by an adsorbent backup filter. Evaluations of different configurations of the organic denuder, and SVOC determined by different denuder-based samplers, both integrated and semi-continuous, are reviewed. A new equation for determination of the denuder efficiency is estimated, considering the efficiency of removing both the gaseous organics that could be adsorbed by the quartz and the gaseous passing through the quartz that could be subsequently adsorbed by the backup adsorbent filter. The origin of OC on the backup quartz filter, behind either quartz or Teflon filter, is quantitatively evaluated by the denuder-based method based on the data published. The backup-OC is shown to be dominated by either gaseous organics passing through the front filter or the evaporated particulate organic carbon depending on the sampling environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Cheng
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, People's Republic China
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Wang RY. Medical toxicology and public health-update on research and activities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. J Med Toxicol 2008; 4:143-4. [PMID: 18570177 DOI: 10.1007/bf03160970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Richard Y Wang
- Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The catastrophic collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC) towers on September 11, 2001 created a large-scale disaster site in a densely populated urban environment. Over the ensuing months, tens of thousands of rescue, recovery and cleanup workers, volunteers, and residents of the adjacent community were exposed to a complex mixture of airborne pollutants. This review focuses on currently described respiratory syndromes, symptoms, and physiologic derangements in WTC rescue, recovery, and cleanup workers, discusses potential long-term effects on respiratory health, and draws parallels to community findings. RECENT FINDINGS Detailed qualitative and quantitative analyses of airborne pollutants with their changing composition during initial rescue/recovery and subsequent cleanup have been published. Major concerns include persistent aerodigestive tract inflammatory syndromes, such as reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS), reactive upper airways dysfunction syndrome (RUDS), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and inflammatory pulmonary parenchymal syndromes, as well as respiratory tract and nonrespiratory malignancies. Aerodigestive tract inflammatory syndromes have now been documented in WTC exposed occupational groups, and syndrome incidence has been linked to WTC airborne pollutant exposure intensity. Community based investigations have yielded similar findings. SUMMARY While it is too early to ascertain long-term effects of WTC dust exposure, current studies already demonstrate a definite link between exposure to WTC-derived airborne pollutants and respiratory disease, both in the occupational and the community setting. A better understanding of causes and effects of this exposure will help in developing appropriate preventative tools for rescue workers in future disasters.
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Affiliation(s)
- G I Banauch
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.
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Wolff MS, Teitelbaum SL, Lioy PJ, Santella RM, Wang RY, Jones RL, Caldwell KL, Sjödin A, Turner WE, Li W, Georgopoulos P, Berkowitz GS. Exposures among pregnant women near the World Trade Center site on 11 September 2001. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2005; 113:739-48. [PMID: 15929898 PMCID: PMC1257600 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.7694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2004] [Accepted: 01/27/2005] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
We have characterized environmental exposures among 187 women who were pregnant, were at or near the World Trade Center (WTC) on or soon after 11 September 2001, and are enrolled in a prospective cohort study of health effects. Exposures were assessed by estimating time spent in five zones around the WTC and by developing an exposure index (EI) based on plume reconstruction modeling. The daily reconstructed dust levels were correlated with levels of particulate matter < or = 2.5 microm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5; r = 0.68) or PM10 (r = 0.73-0.93) reported from 26 September through 8 October 2001 at four of six sites near the WTC whose data we examined. Biomarkers were measured in a subset. Most (71%) of these women were located within eight blocks of the WTC at 0900 hr on 11 September, and 12 women were in one of the two WTC towers. Daily EIs were determined to be highest immediately after 11 September and became much lower but remained highly variable over the next 4 weeks. The weekly summary EI was associated strongly with women's perception of air quality from week 2 to week 4 after the collapse (p < 0.0001). The highest levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-deoxyribonucleic acid (PAH-DNA) adducts were seen among women whose blood was collected sooner after 11 September, but levels showed no significant associations with EI or other potential WTC exposure sources. Lead and cobalt in urine were weakly correlated with sigmaEI, but not among samples collected closest to 11 September. Plasma OC levels were low. The median polychlorinated biphenyl level (sum of congeners 118, 138, 153, 180) was 84 ng/g lipid and had a nonsignificant positive association with sigmaEI (p > 0.05). 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-Heptachlorodibenzodioxin levels (median, 30 pg/g lipid) were similar to levels reported in WTC-exposed firefighters but were not associated with EI. This report indicates intense bystander exposure after the WTC collapse and provides information about nonoccupational exposures among a vulnerable population of pregnant women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary S Wolff
- Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York 10029, USA.
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Sjögren B. Pristane in diesel exhaust a possible link to multiple myeloma. Int J Cancer 2005; 114:501. [PMID: 15578705 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.20739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Banauch GI, Dhala A, Alleyne D, Alva R, Santhyadka G, Krasko A, Weiden M, Kelly KJ, Prezant DJ. Bronchial hyperreactivity and other inhalation lung injuries in rescue/recovery workers after the World Trade Center collapse. Crit Care Med 2005; 33:S102-6. [PMID: 15640671 DOI: 10.1097/01.ccm.0000151138.10586.3a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC) on September 11, 2001 created a large-scale disaster site in a dense urban environment. In the days and months thereafter, thousands of rescue/recovery workers, volunteers, and residents were exposed to a complex mixture of airborne pollutants. METHODS We review current knowledge of aerodigestive inhalation lung injuries resulting from this complex exposure and present new data on the persistence of nonspecific bronchial hyperreactivity (methacholine PC20 < or =8 mg/mL) in a representative sample of 179 Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) rescue workers stratified by exposure intensity (according to arrival time) who underwent challenge testing at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post-collapse. RESULTS Aerodigestive tract inflammatory injuries, such as declines in pulmonary function, reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS), asthma, reactive upper airways dysfunction syndrome (RUDS), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and rare cases of inflammatory pulmonary parenchymal diseases, have been documented in WTC rescue/recovery workers and volunteers. In FDNY rescue workers, we found persistent hyperreactivity associated with exposure intensity, independent of airflow obstruction. One year post-collapse, 23% of highly exposed subjects were hyperreactive as compared with only 11% of moderately exposed and 4% of controls. At 1 yr, 16% met the criteria for RADS. CONCLUSIONS While it is too early to ascertain all of the long-term effects of WTC exposures, continued medical monitoring and treatment is needed to help those exposed and to improve our prevention, diagnosis, and treatment protocols for future disasters.
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Pleil JD, Vette AF, Johnson BA, Rappaport SM. Air levels of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons after the World Trade Center disaster. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2004; 101:11685-8. [PMID: 15280534 PMCID: PMC511010 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0404499101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2004] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The catastrophic collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC) on September 11, 2001, created an immense dust cloud followed by fires that emitted soot into the air of New York City (NYC) well into December. The subsequent cleanup used diesel equipment that further polluted the air until the following June. The particulate air pollutants contained mutagenic and carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). By using an assay developed for archived samples of fine particles, we measured nine PAHs in 243 samples collected at or near Ground Zero from September 23, 2001, to March 27, 2002. Based on temporal trends of individual PAH levels, we differentiated between fire and diesel sources and predicted PAH levels between 3 and 200 d after the disaster. Predicted PAH air concentrations on September 14, 2001, ranged from 1.3 to 15 ng/m(3); these values are among the highest reported from outdoor sources. We infer that these high initial air concentrations resulted from fires that rapidly diminished over 100 d. Diesel sources predominated for the next 100 d, during which time PAH levels declined slowly to background values. Because elevated PAH levels were transient, any elevation in cancer risk from PAH exposure should be very small among nonoccupationally exposed residents of NYC. However, the high initial levels of PAHs may be associated with reproductive effects observed in the offspring of women who were (or became) pregnant shortly after September 11, 2001. Because no PAH-specific air sampling was conducted, this work provides the only systematic measurements, to our knowledge, of ambient PAHs after the WTC disaster.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim D Pleil
- Department of Environmental Sciences, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7431, USA
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