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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Paul J. Lioy, PhD, Associate Director of EOHSI and Director, Exposure Measurement and Assessment Division, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, 170 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, (732) 445-0155, plioy@eohsi.rutgers.edu
The explosion and collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC) was a catastrophic event that produced an aerosol plume impacting many workers, residents and commuters during the first few days after 9-11-2001. Three bulk samples of the total settled dust/smoke were collected at locations east of the WTC, and are representative of the material emitted during, and immediately after the explosion and fire, and the concurrent collapse of the two structures. Each sample was analyzed for inorganic and organic composition. The inorganic analyses include: metals, radionuclides, ionic species, asbestos, and classes of inorganic species. The organic analyses included: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, polychlorinated dibenzodioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans, pesticides, pthalates, and other hydrocarbons. The mass of these three samples was composed primarily of construction materials, soot, and paint (leaded and un-leaded), and glass fibers (mineral wool and fiberglass). Levels of hydrocarbons were indicative of unburned or partially burned jet fuel, plastic, cellulose, and other materials that were ignited by the fire. The results are being used as a basis to understand the contact and types of exposures experienced by the surviving residents, commuters and rescue workers directly affected by the plume from 9-11 through 9-12. Further, results support the need to have the interior of residences, and buildings, and their respective HVAC system, cleaned up professionally to reduce long-term residential risks before re-habitation.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Bioterrorism, Environmental Exposures
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.