9/11 Death Toll Continues To Rise

Mount Sinai Medical Center released a large study on Thursday 9/8/06 covering WTC responders health. The study, titled "The World Trade Center Disaster and the Health of Workers: Five-Year Assessment of a Unique Medical Screening Program", covers 9,442 workers (out of a total of over 40,000) from the period of July 2002 and April 2004. At the time of the examination 59% had persistent symptoms.

The study coincided with a public meeting Thursday night with federal 9/11 Health Coordinator, Dr. John Howard. Public statements from lower Manhattan residents provide anecdotal evidence of long term and chronic health affects among the children and others.

Former EPA chief Christine Whitman will appear on 60 Minutes Sunday night to continue her defense of the EPA during the cleanup.

more below the fold

I'm dumping my accumulated research below without commentary  from me. I explain at the end.

The Study: "The World Trade Center Disaster and the Health of Workers: Five-Year Assessment of a Unique Medical Screening Program"

The Conclusion:

WTC responders had exposure-related increases in respiratory symptoms and PFT abnormalities that persisted up to 2.5 years after the attacks. Long-term medical monitoring is required to track persistence of these abnormalities and identify late effects, including possible malignancies. Lessons learned should guide future responses to civil disasters.

The Press Release for the study:
Large  Study of World Trade Center Responders Finds Persistent Health Problems in Many

NY Times article on the study:
Many 9/11 Workers Have Lung Issues, Report Says

The Observer article:
Now death comes to the men who cleaned up Ground Zero

After years of denial by the authorities that mysterious deaths and illnesses cropping up among workers were linked to Ground Zero, the first solid evidence emerged in January. When New York Police Officer James Zadroga, 34, died of 'black lung disease' the coroner said his illness was caused by the toxins of Ground Zero. Other deaths began to be similarly attributed - a trickle of another three or four so far, but the trickle is likely to become a flood.

First hand report of Thursday's public meeting:
New Yorkers Tell Federal Officials To Stop Ignoring 9/11's Health Effects

I think the biggest sickness that we all suffer from is the fact that the people who lived downtown were so brave and so amazing and helped and volunteered while fires were burning, while we knew we were risking our health. Our federal government never thanked us for the hard work that we did down here. And we're suffering greatly. Everybody's sick. And the wonderful American government that we all waited for has not arrived.

from the same article (but not the meeting), Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney of New York:

Secretary Leavitt said he was going to put the A-team on this issue now. Well, I felt like saying, it's five years, and now we're getting the A-team? What did we have, the B-team, the C-team, no team? What did we have? But I'm glad that the A-team is now being put on this issue five years later, after people have been dying and people are sick. And my question to the officials in the city of New York who finally came out with the guidelines five years later -- we have the SARS guidelines out; we have the Asian flu -- why did it take them five years to be able to send to our doctors the protocol of what to look for for people who were exposed to those deadly toxins?

Christine Whitman on 60 Minutes:
Former EPA Chief Blames Giuliani For Lack Of Masks At WTC Site

Whitman defended herself Friday saying: "We agreed then, and I reiterate now, that the air on the site was not clean. We were emphatic that workers needed to wear respirators, but I did not have the jurisdiction to force workers to wear them -- that was up to their superiors."

Christine Whitman in the EPA Press Release 9/18/2001
Whitman Details Ongoing Agency Efforts to Monitor Disaster Sites, Contribute to Cleanup Efforts

Thus far, from 50 air samples taken, the vast majority of results are either non-detectable or below established levels of concern for asbestos, lead and volatile organic compounds. The highest levels of asbestos have been detected within one-half block of ground zero, where rescuers have been provided with appropriate protective equipment.

NY Times prints a dust analysis:
What Was Found in the Dust

Additional EHP studies and articles on World Trade Center health issues.

Bloomberg still out in cold on disaster's link to sick

Mayor Bloomberg cast doubt on a Mount Sinai Medical Center report showing thousands are suffering long-term effects of the disaster - even as he vowed the city will not walk away from its responsibility to the victims.

"I don't believe that you can say specifically a particular problem came from this particular effect," said Bloomberg, who had not read the report.

"There is no way to tell for sure, and you've got to be very careful. If I say, 'I've got something because of this,' that's just not the way science works."

op cit (for contrast to Mayor Bloomberg)

In Mike Damato's medical records, doctors confirm his illnesses are due to exposure to Ground Zero toxins. The caustic erosion of his oesophagus is at a pre-cancerous stage. He worked on the 'bucket brigade', passing pails of debris hand to hand. He was told the dust-thick air was safe and never wore a mask to protect him from inhaling microscopic particles of glass, asbestos and other carcinogens.

Doing this research and reading these papers, articles and quotes has simply made me very very sad and I can't write further.

•  CBC airs powerful "9/11: Toxic Legacy" docu

  diary rescue:
  CBC airs powerful "9/11: Toxic Legacy" documentary

  by weirdscenes on Sun Sep 10, 2006 at 10:56:17 PM PDT

•  Thank you. I have been searching all night

  for my friend's tale told in the Wall Street Journal, about her
  husband, who stood 2 blocks from the towers collapsing and
  got thrown into an auto-immune slapdown like you wouldn't believe.

  He survived, after months in dire straits, near-to-death experiences.

  She fought for 9/11 compensation eventually & won, but she also
  told me about the cathedral builders--you know--the "little workers"
  contracting a disease that I also can't find on Google tonight. Does
  anyone remember/know of that name of that disease? It's what
  happens when you inhale concrete or, aka, rock. Add in some
  modern chemicals, & you know what you've got: old & new toxic
  mix.

  My friend predicted this (but apparently I can't prove it because
  I can't find the links!) She interviewed firefighters very early on,
  and they were already having respiratory problems.

  by begone on Sun Sep 10, 2006 at 11:02:24 PM PDT

•  I heard a report on NPR last week about this...

  .... and it sounds awful. There are so many people out on workman's comp because of what that dust did to their lungs and airway... Bloomburg needs to get a clue, idiot.

  by highacidity on Sun Sep 10, 2006 at 11:13:45 PM PDT

•  Poor Whitman. Perhaps she ...

  ...spent too much time at the 9/11 site and is now having memory problems. But the Internet does not forget.

  Kudos on this Diary.

  by Meteor Blades on Sun Sep 10, 2006 at 11:37:52 PM PDT

•  This diary deserves attention

  Not enough people know.

  People think of "9-11-2001" as a static event-and that's part of the very problem of the linguistic shorthand we use for it- as if it was a single day, frozen in time. They don't understand that on so many levels, for so many people, this is not over, it's day to day life- and ongoing death. And for so many, the concrete aspects of that moment in time are nowhere near over yet, not in terms of foreign and domestic policy, but in terms of every breath they take. (Speaking here, from both a disease standpoint, and the moment by moment realization of loss of those we loved, along with everyone and everything else that was lost.)

  Thank you for writing this piece.

  by stormcoming on Mon Sep 11, 2006 at 03:18:06 AM PDT