Research at EOHSI

While EOHSI faculty members continue to serve as advisors, they are also conducting research on the environmental and occupational health aspects of this event. For instance, Dr. Paul Lioy, Associate Director of EOHSI and Director of its Exposure Measurement and Assessment Division, and his colleagues are examining the dust/smoke from September 11th to determine its make-up and potential exposure issues. He recently presented a seminar entitled, "What was in the Dust and Smoke Caused by the Collapse of the World Trade Center?". This research has also been discussed in a documentary entitled, " New York Dust  " (download) on the Discovery Channel and has been reported in several media outlets including a number of newspapers:

Links Between 9/11 and Birth Defects Interview with Dr. Paul Lioy and Dr. George Lambert Daytime Edition - 9/11/02 Scientists looking into effects of Sept. 11 Home News Tribune - 9/11/02 Reacting to bioterrorism by Dr. Michael Gochfeld Rutgers Focus - 9/3/02 Environmental concerns by Dr. Paul J. Lioy Rutgers Focus - 9/3/02 N.J. scientists study birth defects for link to 9/11 stress and dust The Star Ledger - 8/30/02 Lessons Learned on Environmental, Occupational and Residential Exposures from the Attack on the WTC Manuscript, Dr. Paul Lioy and Dr. Michael Gochfeld UMDNJ's "E" Team at Ground Zero UMDNJ HEALTHSTATE - V.19, No.3 What's in the Dust UMDNJ HEALTHSTATE - V.20, No.1 Trade center's fallout effects still a mystery Home News Tribune - 2/16/02 Dust from WTC contained 'witches brew' of pollutants The Record - 2/16/02 Trade Center dust an unhealthy blanket The Star-Ledger - 2/18/02 Air Pollution Dust, Smoke From the World Trade Center Said to Pose Complex Exposure Issues Daily Environmental Report, The Bureau of National Affairs Inc. - 2/19/02

Researchers at EOHSI are also working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to model the plume created by the WTC collapse. They will reconstruct the location, time-based concentrations and exposure patterns in downwind locations from the WTC site, as well as location and time-based exposure patterns for the initial dust/smoke and fires within the first week after the collapse. They are also looking at the longer term smoldering fire emissions from Ground Zero and results will be applied to longer-term epidemiological studies.

Members of the NIEHS Center's Community Outreach and Education Program have worked with the NYU NIEHS Center to hold community forums in the lower Manhattan area. They have also developed a WTC Coalition Network with other area NIEHS Centers that includes the development of a website with environmental health information for the public as well as a dust reduction brochure that is being distributed to the community.

Dr. Howard Kipen, Deputy Director of EOHSI and Director of its Occupational Health Division, is collaborating with the New York Fire Department on an epidemiological study of 11,000 firefighters. They will be administering a questionnaire which will have a focus on mental health and medically unexplained symptoms. He is also collaborating with the New York Academy of Medicine to look at 3,000 New York and New Jersey residents (using a geographic stratification) for their physical symptoms, perceptions of their health - mental and physical, and their perception of the odors.

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Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, 170 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854 Phone: 732-445-0200 For additional information contact webmaster@eohsi.rutgers.edu