9/11 Survivors Are Still Getting Sick Decades Later: ‘Am I Next?’

The Sept. 11 terror attack on the World Trade Center has been remembered for the 2,753 lives lost that horrific morning. But that toll in New York has very likely been eclipsed by deaths from exposure to toxic pollutants in the air in the weeks and months after the collapse — and that number keeps growing.

 What 20 years of screening 9/11 first responders for health risks has taught us

They were the first at the scene on 9/11. Twenty years later, they're helping us learn the long-term health consequences.

The battle over extending the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, explained

9/11 first responders finally have a permanent victim compensation fund.

9/11 Is Still Claiming Victims: ‘I Wake Up in Pain’

“These people went in, especially the first responders, to save people. And now they have illnesses and they’re dying from them and it’s not stopping.”

9/11 survivors’ exposure to toxic dust and the chronic health conditions that followed offer lessons that are still too often unheeded

The World Trade Center dust plume, or WTC dust, consisted of a dangerous mixture of cement dust and particles, asbestos and a class of chemicals called persistent organic pollutants. These include cancer-causing dioxins and polyaromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, which are byproducts of fuel combustion. The dust also contained heavy metals that are known to be poisonous to the human body and brain, such as lead – used in the manufacturing of flexible electrical cables – and mercury, which is found in float valves, switches and fluorescent lamps. The dust also contained cadmium, a carcinogen toxic to the kidneys that is used in the manufacturing of electric batteries and pigments for paints.

For Many Who Were Present, The 9/11 Attacks Have Had A Lasting Mental Health Impact

Many people in New York City and neighboring areas who witnessed the disaster experienced symptoms of trauma in the months that followed. Researchers studying the health of survivors, recovery workers and witnesses such as Lozano say the event led to increased rates of mental health problems such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorders.

Health Toll of 9/11 May Include Heart Ills

Firefighters who came to the World Trade Center site were at higher risk of heart attacks and stroke years later.

I Survived 9/11 as a Child—It Took Years to Get a PTSD Diagnosis

I didn’t need to be triggered by anything—I just existed in a constant state of stress.

September 11 Attacks

On September 11, 2001, 19 militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al Qaeda hijacked four airplanes and carried out suicide attacks against targets in the United States.

The Health Effects of 9/11

New study finds firefighters who worked at Ground Zero are more likely to have cancer

The Lingering Health Effects of 9/11

Hundreds of thousands of people remain at risk due to the trauma and exposure to toxic air following each attack. Carcinogens from building materials, gases and jet fuel laced the air around each crash site, with the most severe toxicity among the ruins of the World Trade Center towers in New York City.

What 9/11 Survivors and First Responders Have Taught Us About Public Health in the 20 Years Since the Attacks

For many 9/11 survivors, the emotional toll has been every bit as acute as the physical toll. Among those enrolled in the federal WTC program, mental health problems are the third most common category of certified conditions, after pulmonary or digestive illnesses caused by inhaling toxic effluvium, and cancer; more than 12,500 survivors and responders have been certified as having PTSD associated with the attacks.

What 9/11 Taught Us About Trauma and Resilience

Distress is a normal reaction to mass tragedy, but so is a relatively prompt climb back to good mental health.

Why the 9/11 Bill Is Fair Enough

Even if it’s not perfectly just.

Women Survivors of 9/11 Are Telling Their Stories

“We bandy around the words strength and resilience,” says Robin Roberts, who interviewed women who survived 9/11 for a new documentary. “These women embody that.”