 |
| |
Focus
Top photo credit: FEMA
|
Environmental Aftermath Scott Fields Abstract
On 11 September 2001, over a million tons of steel, dust, and debris fell to earth on the island of Manhattan. Where two giant buildings once stood, now ruins lay in clouds of smoke. The buildings, symbols of American financial might, had been destroyed by terrorist attacks. Once the shock of the largest death toll in U.S. history subsided, environmental health scientists began to wonder what the toll on the neighboring population1s health would be. Asbestos, particulate matter, lead, polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins---these are only a few of the environmental contaminants being faced by rescue workers and people living near the disaster site. Local and federal health and science agencies are working nonstop to identify and clean up the pollutants, and to advise local residents on how to protect themselves against the dangers in their new environment.
The full version of this article is available for free in HTML or PDF formats. |
|
|
|
|
