November 13th, 2007

Some of the brave people that responded to the events of 9/11/2001 lost their lives trying to save others. But people that lived in or near the area are now facing health problems linked to the toxic air at the site.

Emergency workers that responded to the attacks of 9/11 are now experiencing health effects from that devastating day. Respiratory illnesses are one of the main complaints of emergency crews, and workers assigned to clean up the site after that day. But for people that live in the area demolished, more and more residents are coming forward with respiratory illnesses as well. Cases of emphysema and asbestosis are on the rise for people within a 10-mile radius of Ground Zero.

Health officials have asked the Environmental Protection Agency to investigate the link between the air quality after the attacks and the increase in respiratory illnesses in such a small radius. Cases of asbestosis and emphysema are just one part of the concern. After buildings crumbled in the area, massive amounts of asbestos were released into the air, which could lead to an increase in cases of mesothelioma, a type of deadly lung cancer. Though no one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma as yet, the condition can take decades to manifest and is often terminal at the time of detection.