Environmental Issues

The 9-11 recovery operations were directed towards rescuing the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre that is assumed to have claimed nearly 2,800 lives. The attacks also caused intense human suffering, physical destruction and economic loss. The individuals who survived the attacks were affected mentally and physically, this is inclusive of citys first responders, volunteers from different states who came to take part in the rescue, recovery and other operations that were directed towards saving those who had been affected (Bernstein, 2001).

CASE STUDY
The Environmental Health Centre at the World Trade Centre (WTC) needed to be expanded and keenly promoted to all those who were potential victims including laborers, commercial workers, and residents. These groups of people need to be enlightened on the history of dust exposure and symptoms that could be related to September 11th attacks.  This would reduce the likelihood of future complications resulting from the effects of exposure to the dust. This knowledge was to enable them to seek medical care early enough.

The affected communities were to be informed on the construction and destruction activities that can pose environmental risk. The Office of Emergency Management in partnership with other relevant agencies was best suited to perform this task (World trade centre health panel, 2006). This move was to ensure that policies that are linked with such activities are implemented throughout city agencies. These policies governed how the affected communities dealt with the construction and destruction activities.

The recovery workers who were at the site after and before the attacks were provided with health services because they were exposed to the toxic chemicals at the site of the attack. These workers were among the people who were affected either physically or mentally. The workers who arrived earlier at the scene are said to have experienced adverse complications since they were exposed for a longer period. The workers were provided with free medical care and checkup (Bernstein, 2001).
The key probable health hazards were the toxic clouds of smoke because of substantial combustion of jet fuel and the dust cloud produced resulting from the collapse of the towers.

 The exposure to one or more of these hazards led to varying health impacts. The medical conditions that have emerged as the most common because of the exposure are respiratory and mental health conditions. These conditions may or may not have long-term health complications to the victims because the long-term health results have not yet been established although many people express their fears over the possibility of emergence of chronic diseases in the future.

The World Trade Centre Medical Monitoring Program was on a mission to screen potentially most exposed workers and volunteers who took part in the rescue. This screening was exclusively for people who met particular requirements, a chance to receive the screening was a function of the number of hours worked and the proximity to the ground or related sites (World trade centre health panel, 2006). Participants receive medical assessment that is inclusive of questionnaires on exposure, medical and mental health, a regular medical examination that entails spirometry, chest x-rays among other tests.

Participants who choose to volunteer took part in follow-up monitoring, exploration and to have their results recorded. The exposure level can be measured in terms of the time of arrival of the rescuer at the site. Early arrival show worsened respiratory symptoms as compared to those who arrived later. Medical evidence proves that the first respondents were the most affected due to the high level of exposure especially during the collapse of the towers and the recovery efforts that followed soon afterwards.

The people involved in the rescue operation suffered due to absence of adequate respiratory protective equipment. This increased the risk of developing symptoms that are related to the ones witnessed on victims in the September attacks. The absence of such equipments increased the rate at which those who were conducting the rescue operation inhaled the harmful fumes. The protective equipments would reduce the rate of exposure since it would prevent the rescue team from inhaling the toxic substances.

The fire department (FDNY), offered its employees comprehensive World Trade Centre related monitoring and treatment. Mt Sinai and Bellevue programs had adequate funding to continue operating. The three programs however lacked the necessary federal support required to guarantee long-term sustainability of the centers (Bernstein, 2001). Funding was needed to expand and at the same time sustain the group efforts of these programs to provide proper medical treatment and provide room for research on the possible long-tem effects of the exposure to the toxic substances. The New York City Fire Departments WTC monitoring and treatment program (NYPD) followed and monitored any individual who showed signs related to the ones that have already been established as resulting from the attacks.

Conclusion
The September 11th attacks led to loss of many lives and at the same time exposed those who survived to severe health complications. The health providers estimated that the rescue teams that most affected were those who were at the site earlier.