Posted on 9/14/2006, 5:25:16 AM by neverdem
Starting in early 2002, firefighters who responded to the World Trade Center on that awful day the previous September began reporting what became labeled "World Trade Center Cough." Since then, numerous other first responders, later responders involved in search and clean-up and people who simply lived in the general WTC area have also reported a variety of respiratory and other ills.
Clearly, these people are suffering. But the question is: Are they suffering from a variety of toxins or alleged toxins that filled the air after the fiery explosions, or is their problem stress-caused psychogenic illness with perhaps some non-psychogenic illness mixed in?
Some scientific papers have indicated stress is a major factor. But the media have always favored the multiple toxin or "environmental illness" theory, and now insist as a chorus that a new report from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives has settled it.
Certainly the study's authors don't equivocate: "Many who worked at Ground Zero in the early days after the attacks have sustained serious and lasting health problems as a direct result of their exposure to the environment there," Dennis Charney, Mount Sinai's dean for academic and scientific affairs, said in a statement issued with the study.
The media then dressed up these findings. For example, the New York Times claimedpneumonia was "significantly more common" among responders, but the report actually says responders were merely more likely to have "sought medical help" for the illness. It had no data on actual diagnoses.
What the report did find, and which sounds awfully persuasive, is that 69 percent of some 9,500 responders said they suffered new or worsened breathing problems at the time of their WTC work. Further, in 59 percent symptoms persisted until their examinations (conducted from 2002 to 2004).
(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...
I'd say that common sense would tell you that working in an area saturated with ultra-fine particles of any sort would damage your lungs.
Alot of these guys were working sixteen hour shifts all the way through June at the site.
I seriously doubt that PPE was a priority with the folks who were there the first few days digging out survivors.
It may be too early for any study to adequately assess the damage.
I read somewhere that 75% of the folks in NYC are crazier than Hell to start with, I suspect that most of us would have just swallowed another handful of asprin, and kept on truckin'. Hell, I've been hurting and gasping for air for decades, but it never kept me from working another 12 hour shift. I never quit until I couldn't stand up anymore, but Rudy is already looking for easy ways out!
Whatever would happen if Rudy was Prez, and all of a sudden he got a pimple on his butt? Would the World have to stop, until he sorted out his options?
All kinds of things appear when lawyers smell government money in the water.
As usual they blame big momma Gov't !
The long-term study of the Operation Ranch Hand defoliant-dispensing aircrewmen proved that they were no sicker than the general population. B.G. Burkett referenced this in his "Stolen Honor" which made him some dedicated enemies as certain of his chapters took on the Agent Orange and PTSD franchises.
That said, I remember seeing the news footage at the time and wishing heartily that everyone working there could have been issued with proper industrial respirators (not those damn paper filters) such as I was issued with (and wore religiously) when my ship, the USS Dale, was in the Philly drydock that summer of '87.
Well, Queen hillary was in the well of the Senate today(yesterday) durring her 20 minute ditribe on this subject, claiming and BLAMING, that Christy said; "IT WAS COMPLETELY SAFE" to breathe around the city after the collapse of the two towers.
The Queen wouldn't lie from the well of the US Senate would she?
What has Rudy have to do with the criticism in the story?
I'm don't understand...what does the above article have to do with Rudy Giuliani?
Correction: I don't understand.
First-Time Study Reveals No Evidence That Search And Rescue Dogs' Health Affected By Exposure To 9/11 Sites
(01 Sep 2006 )
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=50953
"As of August 30, 2006, the mortality rate in the deployed dogs (29.9%) is not statistically different than the rate in the controls (21.8%). The frequency of cancer as a cause of death in the deployed dogs (41.4%) is also not statistically different than the frequency in control dogs (50.0%). This rate is not unexpected in companion animals. "
Then it's just as well they killed so many of us on 9/11. It was kind of a cleansing thing for 'Merica.
I see things are getting back to normal. You folks from the 'Heartland' can stop pretending that you give a damn now, and we can stop pretending that we believe it.
Haven't you heard, Rudy is lining up to claim that his health may be damaged from breathing 9-11 air.
Thanks for the link. At first, I thought it was the results of canine pulmonary function tests. I'll take what I get.
Saw a documentary about this a few days ago, think it was on the Sundance Channel or another one...anyway it was titled, "Dust to Dust."
Had many medical responders, firemen, etc. who were there from the start, now have serious diseases especially lung problems, ashtma. There's already been a death specifically connected to working at the clean-up site.
Also has lots of footage showing Christine Whitman actually saying the area was safe, no need for concern. Many residents who lived in the area moved back in under those guidelines from the EPA. Also, elementary schools were reopened in the area.
Interesting documentary.
What's PPE for the uninitiated?
No, I haven't heard that, and I haven't read that, either.
I'm not about to criticize those brave souls who spent 16-hour days digging through the rubble of the World Trade Center. In fact, I don't care how many hours a day they worked -- the fact that they were there is a testimony to the spirit of America.
Do ignore that poster. I'm from the South, made my first trip to NYC this summer and loved it. A beautiful and interesting city. Definitely want to visit again.
The detritus, which was in the air, after the WTC went down, was terrible; infinitesimal particles from burned planes, humans, papers, cloth, building material, and GOD only knows what else. The brave firefighters and police, who worked their collective behinds off, to save people and they and the volunteers who worked for months to clean up that devastation, breathed in all kinds of stuff.
Rudy wasn't there for a comparable period of time. Suggesting that he would pull out of the GOP presidential primaries, for made up health reasons, is a despicable thing for to you say. How dare you post such tripe!
Like you said, there is no way that anyone could breathe in all of those particles over a period of time and NOT develop some sort of breathing problem.
It's offensive that anyone who didn't work at the site would criticize those who risked life and limb trying to save others.
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