9/11 attacks have increased the number of firefighters taking disability retirementNew York, New York - Researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, have reported that the number of New York firefighters taking disability retirement has shown a surprising increase since the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York City. In their article, published recently in the online version of American Journal of Industrial Medicine, the researchers noted that seven years prior to the attacks, 48% of New York’s retiring firefighters took accidental disability retirements, while seven years after 9/11, the figure has increased to 66% percent. Half of these retirements were related to injuries or illness contracted during the attacks and their aftermath.
The toppling of the World Trade Center Towers sent clouds of toxic chemicals billowing into the air, which hung over Manhattan like a hazardous fog for weeks. First responders and cleanup crew were never instructed to wear any type of respiratory gear, and thousands of firefighters, policemen, and EMTs inhaled these carcinogens over prolonged periods of time.
One particularly dangerous material known to have been released during the attacks is asbestos, a mineral fiber known to cause asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. In fact, the only known cause of the latter is prolonged asbestos exposure. Although mesothelioma disease generally takes a minimum of 20 years to develop, many 9/11 first responders are already starting to show signs of this terminal cancer.
The college researchers also noted that pension benefits associated with World Trade Center accidental disability retirements have increased the FDNY pension system’s financial burden by $826 million.
