Why Was So Much Asbestos Released During 9/11?

The World Trade Center (WTC) North Tower construction was completed in 1970 and the South Tower in 1972. These New York City buildings occupied 16 acres in lower Manhattan. WTC construction began before the worldwide concern about asbestos we have today. The lower floors of the WTC towers contained high amounts of asbestos insulation. Asbestos use in the Twin Towers was estimated at 100 to 1,000 tons.

The steel beams and columns in the WTC were sprayed with asbestos for insulation and fireproofing. In the middle of the spraying project, the New York City Council banned the spraying, halting the project. Abatement of some areas occurred, but this was several years after tons of asbestos material had already been applied.

Planes hurtling into the Twin Towers severed internal columns built into their inner cores and compromised their structure, eventually collapsing both buildings when their upper floors caved in and crushed the floors beneath them.

The crumpling debris released a toxic combination of chemicals that coated the city block and a wide surrounding area in a thick layer of dust. The billows that enveloped downtown Manhattan immediately afterward spiked public concerns about the asbestos released from September 11th.

First Responder Mesothelioma and Cancer Risks

Many of the first responders who rushed to the scene of the WTC collapse were not wearing respirators or other protective gear. The Mount Sinai Medical Center released a 2006 study of 9,500 WTC responders, which found that:

• Pulmonary function abnormalities were twice the rate of the U.S. population, lasting many years.
• Seventy percent of WTC responders had new or worsened respiratory function symptoms.
• Of the responders with no symptoms before 9/11, 61 percent developed respiratory symptoms.

A 2008 study by the New York State Department of Health study reported that of the 204 first responders who died since September 11th:

• 55 died of cancer
• The majority developed cancer after 9/11

Although mesothelioma usually has a latency period of several decades, first responder Deborah Reeve developed mesothelioma symptoms in 2003 and passed away in 2006. The long-term effects of the 9/11 asbestos release is unknown.