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Summary of the development of a signature for detection of residual dust from collapse of the World Trade Center buildings

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 19, pages 325–335 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

The collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC) towers on September 11, 2001, caused lower Manhattan and adjacent areas to be covered in millimeters to centimeters of dust. WTC dust penetrated into indoor spaces, and public health concerns remain regarding exposure to possible residual dust in the affected areas. The goal of the studies outlined in this review was to determine which, if any, components of the bulk WTC dust are sufficiently above typical background dust levels in New York City to develop an analytical method to screen for the component(s). Components of the <150-μm-size fraction of the dust are gypsum, phases compatible with crushed concrete, man-made vitreous fibers (MMVFs), silica, lead, chrysotile asbestos, and other materials. Slag wool was the most common WTC MMVF, whereas soda-lime glass and rock wool were minor to trace constituents. Most background samples also contained gypsum, phases compatible with concrete, and MMVF. However, the proportions of the various MMVF in background samples are typically unlike those characteristic of bulk WTC dust. Results indicate that slag wool can be used as a signature marker to identify areas that contain potential residual WTC dust contamination at concentrations that are less than average background levels for the material.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the outstanding work of Jacky Rosati in conducting the EPA signature study and Amy Bern and others at USEPA for their method development. We also thank Edward du Bray and Sharon Diehl, USGS, for their insightful reviews. The contributions of Dr. Lippmann were supported, in part, by Center Grant ES 00260 from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), and Dr. Lioy was supported in part by a Center Grant ES 05022 from NIEHS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. US Geological Survey, MS973, Denver, Colorado, USA

    Heather A Lowers & Gregory P Meeker

  2. Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute of New Jersey, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA

    Paul J Lioy

  3. Department of Environmental and Community Medicine, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA

    Paul J Lioy

  4. Nelson Institute of Environmental Medicine, New York University, Tuxedo, New York, USA

    Morton Lippmann

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  1. Heather A Lowers
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  2. Gregory P Meeker
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  3. Paul J Lioy
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  4. Morton Lippmann
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Heather A Lowers.

Appendix E

Appendix E

Tables 4 and 5

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Lowers, H., Meeker, G., Lioy, P. et al. Summary of the development of a signature for detection of residual dust from collapse of the World Trade Center buildings. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 19, 325–335 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2008.25

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