Air Quality at the WTC Site

[Markxxx]

I recently went to visit the remains of the WTC site. What struck me is there is a definite odor. It doesn’t stay but it is noticable.

First what could that be?

Second what about asbestos and other contaminants. I have heard everything from not much to a lot was thrown in the air. I was under the impression even one particle of asbestos breathed in was dangerous.

(aside: one thing that struck me was how well they cleaned the area up. If one didn’t know what happend it looks like just another building site.)

[Duck_Duck_Goose]

The EPA’s web page on the WTC air quality issue. Everything you always wanted to know…

http://www.epa.gov/wtc/

ASBESTOS TESTING TO START IMMEDIATELY

(August 16, 2002) EPA will start the scheduling of testing for airborne asbestos in residences in lower Manhattan today and testing will start in one week.

A subset of 100 residences have been selected to be tested and will be contacted directly by EPA to schedule testing. Two firms, Weston Solutions, Inc. and W.R.S. Infrastructure and Environment, Inc., will test up to 100 residences under separate EPA contracts during the time needed to complete the contracting process for the project at large. Full scale cleaning and/or testing is expected to start in September

From the FAQ.
http://www.epa.gov/wtc/questions/index.html#h3

How high is the risk from exposure to asbestos, fiberglass and other hazardous materials in my lower Manhattan home?

Independent health experts have characterized the risks from developing asbestos-related diseases as very low. The ATSDR/NYCDOH study did not find asbestos present in the air in any of the residences they tested. However, the presence of asbestos and fibrous glass in the dust in some tested residences raises the possibility that this material could be redistributed in the indoor air. While EPA does not believe that residents are currently facing significant health risks from World Trade Center dust in indoor spaces, we do think that the best way to reduce this risk even further is to remove residual dust from people’s homes.

I don’t see anything offhand that addresses the issue of what exactly the smell is, but judging from the list of contaminants on the left-hand side of the main page, it could be anything.

Anyway, there’s a ton of stuff there.