Air levels of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons after the World Trade Center disaster

Cumulative exposure assessment for trace-level polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using human blood and plasma analysis

“…PAHs analytical methodologies are based on projects for assessing environmental samples from aircraft exhaust [53] and from environmental impact analyses of the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center disaster [54][55][56].…”

Medical toxicology and public health — Update on research and activities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

“…First responders and people in the nearby community were exposed to airborne particulates and chemicals that largely consisted of building material and byproducts of the combustion of jet fuel and office and building equipment. The levels of atmospheric contaminants, such as particulate matter, decreased over time since the collapse of the towers and over distance from the WTC complex ("Ground Zero") [2][3][4]. In the first 4 weeks following the collapse of the towers, the major air pollutants included particulate matter; trace metals, such as lead, vanadium, magnesium, titanium, and aluminum; and products of combustion, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and other semivolatile chemicals [2,4,5].…”

“…In the first 4 weeks following the collapse of the towers, the major air pollutants included particulate matter; trace metals, such as lead, vanadium, magnesium, titanium, and aluminum; and products of combustion, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and other semivolatile chemicals [2,4,5]. The fires contributed to human exposure to PAHs during the 3 months following the collapse of the WTC towers; exhausts from diesel trucks and generators were additional sources of exposure to these chemicals in the months that followed the cessation of the fires [4,5] consistent with those measured in Los Angeles during a smog episode in 1993, although the levels of the higher-molecularweight PAHs at the WTC site were higher than their average levels from the smog [5].…”

The 9/11 Dust Cloud and Pregnancy Outcomes: A Reconsideration

“…Figure 1 shows aerial photographs of the dust cloud that resulted from the collapse of the World Trade Center towers. This dust contained a wide range of toxicants and irritants, including pulverized cement, asbestos, glass fibers, lead, dioxins and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), some of which are known to be hazardous for fetal development, while the effects of many others are unknown (Pleil et al 2004). PAHs have been identified as contributors to adverse birth outcomes in previous research.…”

“…11, 2001 was the largest environmental disaster ever to have befallen a U.S. metropolis, releasing a million tons of toxic dust and smoke into the air of lower Manhattan (Landrigan et al 2004;Lioy et al 2002;Pleil et al 2004). The levels of mutagenic and carcinogenic air pollutants measured in the aftermath of the WTC collapse are among the highest ever reported from outdoor sources (Pleil et al 2004). …”