70% of 9/11 Responders Now Sick

Posted on September 11, 2006

The AP reports that a study by doctors from the Mount Sinai Medical Center has found that at least 70% of responders to World Trade Center attacks on 9/11 have fallen ill. This study includes rescue crews that worked to remove debris from Ground Zero.

Doctors at Mount Sinai Medical Center, which conducted the study, said the results prove that working in the toxic gray dust at ground zero made many people sick, and some will likely suffer the effects for the rest of their lives.
"There should no longer be any doubt about the health effects of the World Trade Center. Our patients are sick," said Dr. Robin Herbert, co-director of the group that investigated the long-term effects from exposure to dust at the site.

Here are some of the alarming findings from the study.

Almost 70 percent of World Trade Center responders had new or worsened lung symptoms after the attacks.
Among responders who had no health symptoms before the attacks, 61 percent developed lung symptoms while working on the toxic pile.
One-third of those tested had abnormal lung function tests.

It is a shame that so many early responders are now ill. An investigation should be launched to see how this was allowed to happen and why more precautions were not taken to protect the people at and near Ground Zero.

HEALTH