June 2019 AST Magazine June 2019 AST Magazine | Page 16

These
carcinogenic particles would
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hang in the air for days and weeks fol-
lowing 9/11, and would go on to affect
the health of thousands of respond-
ers and civilians.
First Responder Exposure
Responders and workers were not
only exposed to toxic materials in the
immediate aftermath of September
11th, but also during the cleanup and
recovery efforts that continued in the
subsequent months.
A week after the attacks,
the head
of 34
the
June 2019
- Edition
EPA had declared the air and water
safe.
The announcement cued civilians to
return to their daily routines and led
recovery workers to continue their
work without safety masks and equip-
ment.
Long periods of exposure led to
responders inhaling debris, and at
times bringing it into their cars and
homes at the end of the day.
(An estimated 400 tons of asbestos was used in the World Trade Center. The 9/11 terrorist attacks released the
carcinogen in a dust cloud throughout New York City. Now, people who were exposed at Ground Zero are devel-
oping debilitating asbestos-related diseases. Courtesy of the The Mesothelioma Center and YouTube. Posted on
Sep 11, 2018.)
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