RESCUE workers sifting through the remains of the World Trade Center could be
inhaling asbestos, say Environmental Protection Agency scientists who are
carrying out tests near “ground zero”.
The agency is warning rescue workers to change their clothes before returning
home, and to rely on ventilators rather than surgical masks as they work. But it
says there is no danger to those further from the site.
Asbestos inhalation can cause asbestosis and lung cancer, including a rare
but lethal form called mesothelioma. A material containing 20 per cent asbestos
was used to insulate steel beams up to the 40th floor…
