November 6th, 2006

Crews that were working at the World Trade Center sites in a bid to find more remains had to stop work, after officials feared for workers’ safety. The work was stopped because officials were worried about toxins in the air, including asbestos, which is a carcinogenic that can cause a number of health problems, including mesothelioma, which is asbestos related cancer.

Officials were worried that the search that was being carried out by crews for human remains dating back to the tragedy in 2001 could be disturbing toxic dust, which could then pollute the air and pose a health risk to people and workers within the area. Quality tests had to be carried out in the air to ensure that it was safe for crews to continue working.

After the air quality testing was carried out, results came back as negative, and crews were finally allowed to resume the search. Crews will continue to wear protective clothing, such as masks, to ensure that there is minimal risk of ingesting polluted air.

In the meantime, many have demanded that construction work be halted whilst the search is carried out, but officials state that they have to continue with the building works.