Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26058443›Full record

ReviewCritical reviews in toxicology2015

Health effects of World Trade Center (WTC) Dust: An unprecedented disaster's inadequate risk management.

Morton Lippmann, Mitchell D Cohen, Lung-Chi Chen

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Critical reviews in toxicology, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 73 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
73citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

73 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Particles exposures and sarcoidosis.Sarcoidosis, vasculitis, and diffuse lung diseases : official journal of WASOG · 2025
    Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Review
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Review
  19. Inhaled Pollutants of the Gero-Exposome and Later-Life Health.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2024
    Review
  20. Article

13 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Morton LippmannNelson Institute of Environmental Medicine, New York University , Tuxedo, NY , USA.
Mitchell D Cohen
Lung-Chi Chen

Funding

RESEARCH IN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES (CENTER GRANT)P30ES000260 · NIEHS · NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · PI ZELIKOFF, JUDITH TERRY · 1985 to 2020
$26.1M
WTC Dust Size and Alkalinity as Factors in First Responder Chronic Lung AilmentsR01OH008280 · OH · NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · PI COHEN, MITCHELL D · 2009 to 2012
$1.8M
NIEHS NIH HHS ES000260NIEHS NIH HHS P30 ES000260NIOSH CDC HHS OH008280NIOSH CDC HHS R01 OH008280NIOSH CDC HHS R01 OH010921
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The World Trade Center (WTC) twin towers in New York City collapsed on 9/11/2001, converting much of the buildings' huge masses into dense dust clouds of particles that settled on the streets and within buildings throughout Lower Manhattan. About 80-90% of the settled WTC Dust, ranging in particle size from ∼2.5 μm upward, was a highly alkaline mixture of crushed concrete, gypsum, and synthetic vitreous fibers (SVFs) that was readily resuspendable by physical disturbance and low-velocity air currents. High concentrations of coarse and supercoarse WTC Dust were inhaled and deposited in the conductive airways in the head and lungs, and subsequently swallowed, causing both physical and chemical irritation to the respiratory and gastroesophageal epithelia. There were both acute and chronic adverse health effects in rescue/recovery workers; cleanup workers; residents; and office workers, especially in those lacking effective personal respiratory protective equipment. The numerous health effects in these people were not those associated with the monitored PM2.5 toxicants, which were present at low concentrations, that is, asbestos fibers, transition and heavy metals, polyaromatic hydrocarbons or PAHs, and dioxins. Attention was never directed at the very high concentrations of the larger-sized and highly alkaline WTC Dust particles that, in retrospect, contained the more likely causal toxicants. Unfortunately, the initial focus of the air quality monitoring and guidance on exposure prevention programs on low-concentration components was never revised. Public agencies need to be better prepared to provide reliable guidance to the public on more appropriate means of exposure assessment, risk assessment, and preventive measures.

Indexed as

Air PollutantsAnimalsDisastersDustEnvironmental ExposureHumansNew York CityParticle SizeRisk AssessmentRisk ManagementAir PollutantsDustalkalinitycoarse particlesexposure assessmentoverloading of clearanceparticle resuspensionrisk managementsupercoarse particlessynthetic vitreous fibersWorld Trade Center

Identifiers

PMID26058443
PMCPMC4686342

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.