WTC Heroes Suffer From Lung Ailments

The 9/11 attack has left its scars much deeper than what it is visible to the naked eye. The rescue workers who battled all odds after the twin towers of World Trade Center collapsed due to terrorist attacks are now themselves suffering from lung ailments.

The five year long study conducted at the Mount Sinai Medical Center revealed that about 70% of the rescue workers, who worked at the World Trade Center site after September 11, 2001 attacks have developed breathing problems.

Trillions of microscopic shards of glass along with asbestos and other carcinogens tainted the air upon the collapse of the Twin Towers. This toxic dust which the rescue workers inhaled during rescue operations had penetrated deep into their lungs and sinus cavities thus giving rise to lung ailments.

During the study the researchers examined medical records of 9500 rescue workers. Findings from medical exams conducted between July of 2002 and April of 2004 revealed that World Trade Center responders had double the rate of lung abnormalities than expected in the U.S. population.

According to the report, 61 percent of those who had no health problems earlier had now developed symptoms after exposure to the toxic dust. Nearly 70% had new or worsened respiratory symptoms.

Reports published in American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine revealed that a firefighter had lost 9% of his lung functioning capacity after a year. This is 12 times the normal rate of loss that progresses with ones age.

Although the long-term health effects from working at the site are still unknown, the authorities are taking steps to collect more funds that can be used for health related issues of these ‘World Trade Center Heroes’.