'Gold standard' for remediation of WTC contamination

Our plain-English summary of 'Gold standard' for remediation of WTC contamination, by Technical Working Group (New Solutions, 2004).

The study

• Author: Technical Working Group
• Journal: New Solutions
• Published: 2004;14(3):199-217
• Cited by: 5 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

The events of September 11, 2001 and thereafter resulted in arguably the worst environmental disaster in the history of New York City. Particulate matter and combustion by-products containing asbestos, lead, mercury, dioxin, PAHs, and other toxic substances, not only affected rescue and recovery workers but also infiltrated thousands of residences and workplaces. Government agencies did not acknowledge responsibility for residential indoor environmental quality until eight months later, and still have not accepted responsibility for indoor environmental quality in commercial or government buildings. In May 2002, 200 representatives from 38 community, labor, environmental, and public health organizations met to discuss unmet post-9/11 public health needs. They established a technical working group to press the Environmental Protection Agency to expand and improve its proposals for the cleanup of Lower Manhattan. This 2002 document, "The 'Gold Standard' for Remediation of WTC Contamination," articulates the environmental health concerns and suggestions of grassroots organizations active in 9/11 response efforts at that time.

In plain English

This 2002 policy document, not a research study, came from a technical working group formed by 38 community, labor, environmental and public health organizations. It set out a 'gold standard' for cleaning up World Trade Center contamination in Lower Manhattan, with no new data. It said asbestos, lead, mercury, dioxin and other toxic substances had spread through nearby neighborhoods and that Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cleanup plans did not go far enough. It recommended presuming all indoor spaces below Canal and Pike Streets asbestos-contaminated and making abatement mandatory. Where testing showed no asbestos, occupants would have final say on whether to waive cleaning. It said cleanup should include schools and workplaces, and rejected visible dust as the contamination test. It proposed an asbestos air clearance level of 0.000004 fibers per cubic centimeter (PCM equivalent, TEM analysis), matching a one-in-a-million lifetime excess cancer risk. If unachievable, EPA should explain why and use the highest achievable standard. It also proposed dust-sampling trigger levels, discarding contaminated carpets and a health registry. The authors said it reflected their opinions at the time and was not technical guidance.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Science-based policy document (position statement with cleanup recommendations); not an original research study
• Who was studied: No study population. The document addressed buildings and people in Lower Manhattan affected by World Trade Center contamination after September 11, 2001. It was produced by a technical working group set up at a May 2002 meeting of 200 representatives from 38 organizations.
• Exposure: Dust and combustion by-products from the World Trade Center collapse containing asbestos, lead, mercury, dioxin and other toxic substances. Fibrous glass, PAHs and mold were also discussed.
• Main results:
  • Recommendation: all indoor spaces within EPA's designated area (river to river, below Canal and Pike Streets) should be presumed contaminated with asbestos and fully abated unless testing shows otherwise.
  • Recommendation: asbestos abatement should be mandatory. Where asbestos is documented as not present, EPA may suggest cleaning is unnecessary, but the occupant should have the ultimate authority to request or waive a cleaning.
  • The group judged EPA's proposed use of visible dust as the indicator of contamination to be not scientifically valid.
  • Recommendation: cleanup should cover schools, workplaces and commercial establishments, not only residences.
  • Proposed asbestos air clearance standard: no greater than the 1-in-a-million excess lifetime cancer risk level, given as 0.000004 fibers per cc (PCM equivalent). Laboratory analysis would be by TEM, counting all fibers, including those smaller than 5 microns. If this is not technically achievable, EPA should show why not and use the highest standard technically achievable.
  • Proposed dust-sampling levels: results above 10,000 structures per square centimeter should trigger consideration of abatement, and results at or above 100,000 should trigger abatement.
  • Citing an EPA report, the document stated that asbestos-contaminated carpets cannot be effectively cleaned by vacuuming, and recommended discarding them.
  • Recommendation: a single health registry and medical surveillance system for exposed groups.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors stated that the document aims to maximize protection of public health and worker safety. They said the Precautionary Principle should guide the cleanup.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • The authors stated that the document represents their opinions, based on information available when it was written.
  • The authors stated that the document should not be used as technical guidance for testing or remediation.

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