The 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City caused anenvironmental disaster of epic proportions, exposing workers to aerosolized cement, glass, minerals, metals, and combustion soot and later plaguing them with chronic health problems. Since the attacks, Paul Lioy, director of exposure science at the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, has studied the disaster and the U.S. government’s response, ultimately publishing a book in early 2010 entitled Dust: The Inside Story of its Role in the September 11th Aftermath.

“Merely having a plan is not enough. You have to be willing to implement it as quickly and efficiently as possible,” says Lioy of the handling of environmental exposure to toxins. “In the beginning, people won’t be carrying respirators or Tyvek suits. They have to make judgments to save people who can’t wait to be saved. But as soon as you get a handle on the situation – and with modern, real-time monitoring equipment, we can do that more quickly – you have to protect your emergency responders.”

Lioy recounts that during the first two days after the attack, the Government thought asbestos would be the primary threat, as it can cause such fatal diseases as asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the lining of the chest and abdomen. However, most of these diseases require prolonged exposure to asbestos.

“Once the “World Trade Center cough” started appearing, we realized it wasn’t caused by asbestos. There were three other things that caused health problems. First, cement dust was very alkaline – the pH was above 10. That irritated the linings of the lungs. Second, glass fibers got stuck in people’s upper airways, like wooden logs in a narrow stream. That trapped the cement particles and enhanced the irritation. And there were very coarse particles that comprised the vast quantity of the dust mass,” explains Lioy.

However, those exposed to the dust for months, i.e. Ground Zero workers, may have to face the adverse effects of asbestos related disease further in the future, as illnesses such as mesothelioma take decades to develop. Often caught in the later stages of the cancer, mesothelioma treatment, although aggressive, is rarely enough to prolong a patient’s life expectancy past 18 months; a very sad prognosis for national heroes.

The September 11^th attacks on the World Trade Center left part of Manhattan submerged under a toxic dust that would linger for months. "Everywhere you went there was dust. It was in the air. It was on the ground. It was on everything you touched, everything you saw," describes Ground Zero worker Jevon Thomas.

The dust contained toxins, such as dioxin, benzene and asbestos, which is known to cause such fatal diseases as asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the lining of the chest and abdomen. Thomas, who worked in the dust for over a year, developed an equally as rare cancer called epithelioid sarcoma. Nine years after the attack, many Ground Zero workers have developed cancers that they attribute to the dust.

"You can’t work in an environment with so many different chemicals and carcinogens… for a year straight, day in and day out, and not come down with something," says Thomas, who was recently also diagnosed with lung cancer.

Yet studies conducted by major health centers have concluded that cancer is not a leading health problem among the estimated 40,000 Ground Zero workers. The most common illnesses suffered by these workers are respiratory problems, gastrointestinal disease (probably caused by ingesting dust), and mental health issues, such as post traumatic stress disorder and depression.

However, the lack of hard data may just be a question of time. Pleural mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs that is caused by inhaling asbestos fibers, can take decades to surface. The cocktail of carcinogens inhaled by these workers may very well not begin to show its full blown effects for another ten years.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Stuart M. Bernstein of New York City denied bankruptcy exit to Pfizer Inc.’s Quigley unit, a former asbestos maker, because the company manipulated the bankruptcy process to benefit itself.

This was Quigley’s fourth attempt at passing a reorganization plan, which prompted the judge to propose discussion on the dismissal of the case. Judge Bernstein also cited testimony that the asbestos claims aimed at the world’s largest drug company could total $4.45 billion over the next 42 years.

Exposure to asbestos can cause several fatal diseases, including asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the lining of the chest and abdominal cavities and the organs contained within them. Because asbestos related diseases can take decades to develop, they are often difficult to diagnose.

Mesothelioma treatment composed of surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and any combination of the three, is rarely life-saving. At best, treatment generally only buys a patient time, and life expectancy is rarely longer than 18 months.

Quigley, founded in 1916, manufactured three products containing asbestos from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1968, the company was purchased by Pfizer. Since bankruptcy was filed, Pfizer has tried to rid itself of liability for an estimated $900 million worth of asbestos damages through a Chapter 11 plan. Said plan contends that the company will be bankrupt after five years of paying off claims for asbestos-related injuries.

Although a hospital is supposed to be a place of health and recovery, in the case of Dr Kieran Sweeney, it was the exact opposite. At a hearing in Exeter, England, the claim was made that Sweeney died of pleural mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the pleura, the lining of the lungs, due to breathing in dust and debris from pipe lagging at the Royal Infirmary and Southern General Hospital.

Sweeney was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 1979, a cancer that is caused almost exclusively by exposure to asbestos. Two weeks before his death in 2009 at the age of 58, Sweeney wrote to his lawyers to say he had been exposed to asbestos in the medical block of Southern General.

He blamed the "miles and miles of pipe work on the exterior of walls" that carried hot water and other utilities and on which he often saw tradesmen working. Sweeney claimed that the lagging was usually removed to repair the pipes in the corridors.

Sweeney’s post-mortem examination declared cause of death to be mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure, which the doctor’s lawyers feel is an indication that death was not due to natural causes, but rather to industrial disease.

Unfortunately, Sweeney’s case is not an isolated occurrence in the UK. A report by Dr Robin Rudd, a physician and leading expert on mesothelioma, says other medical and nursing staff at several other hospitals around the country have suffered similar circumstances.

They may be rivals, but British soccer teams Newcastle United and Sunderland both committed to assisting with a fashion fundraiser for Cancer Connections and The Mick Knighton Mesothelioma Research Fund. The Magpies supplied brand new full strips, while the Black Cats have provided gear for the show’s models, which strutted their stuff at the South Shields Customs House on September 1^st and 2nd.

The strips were used in a derby day routine, hosted by fashion show director Peter Darrant, in which everyone was a winner. The fashion Shoot, which was held on Thursday, Spetember 2^nd at the venue in Mill Dam, South Shields, was also presented and choreographed by Darrant,

"It’s great to see these teams and great rivals putting aside their differences for a great cause,” commented Darrant.

The events were sponsored by Complete Smile, Colmans, Asda Boldon, The Viking Centre, Majestic Bingo, Practical Compounds, Specsavers, Barbour, The Quality Hotel and Paper Moon. Cancer fundraising aside, this event has also spread awareness of mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the lining of the lungs, chest and abdomen that is generally caused by prolonged asbestos exposure. Because it is so difficult to detect, asbestos cancer, as it is alternately known, is often detected in later stages and is ultimately fatal. Mesothelioma treatmentis, therefore, aggressive and usually composed of a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

For more information regarding Cancer Connections and The Mick Knighton Mesothelioma Research Fund, visit their respective Web sites at www.safc.com or www.nufc.co.uk.

The Ocala City Council has approved a $11,044 grant to demolish the old Brick City Printing Building, reports Ocala.com. The building, situated on 316 North Magnolia Avenue in Ocala, Florida, is owned by Virginia Hitt.

The grant has been awarded to Hitt, in order to fund the demolition. The grant amount reflects the lowest bid obtained by the city, for the work. The city accepted bids on behalf of the property owner.

The demolition process includes asbestos removal. Asbestos must be removed from the building in order to prevent an asbestos disturbance. For when asbestos is disturbed, the particles can easily be aerosolized. Once made airborne, the particles can be inhaled.

Such exposure has been known to cause several diseases, including mesothelioma.Mesothelioma is the rarest and most aggressive asbestos related disease, known to affect nearly 3,000 Americans each year.

Due to an extended latency period of 10 to 50 years, doctors struggle to diagnose patients in the early stages of their disease. Due to patients’ late diagnosis, mesothelioma treatmenttends to arrive late. Such treatment is palliative, rather than curative, and most often involves chemotherapy, radiation and surgery.

When Whitt sells or transfers the property, or obtains a building permit for remediation or construction on the property, she must repay the city $5,522. She must repay the entire amount, regardless of whether that amount is equal to the demolition cost.

The Slavin and Shulkin Furniture and Jewelry buildings will soon fall. Massena, New York’s Board of Trustees voted to assume ownership of the three buildings in March. The village, however, won’t be able to take full ownership of the buildings until October.

Because of this, the bond to demolish the dilapidated buildings must be repaid over five years, rather than ten. If the village held the current title to the property, they would have been eligible to choose a 10-year bond, reports the Daily Courier-Observer.

The buildings have continued to crumble, and have become an eyesore for the village. Before the buildings are demolished, however, asbestos must first be removed. Asbestos is a highly toxic material found in many older homes and buildings. When disturbed, the toxic particles can easily be inhaled.

Such exposure has been known to cause several diseases, including mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is the rarest and most aggressive asbestos-related disease, known to form from the mesothelium.

Once patients are diagnosed with the disease, mesothelioma treatment is undergone. Such treatment, however, is palliative.

Bids for the asbestos abatement and demolition work were opened August 19. The lowest bid came from Richardson & Sons of Ogdensburg, New York at $274,000. Project Manager William B. Plant has noted, however, that the contract won’t necessarily go to the lowest bidder, but to the lowest “qualified” bidder.

Potsdam, New York village officials have spent close to $50,000 on several asbestos abatement projects at different locations in the Civic Center, reports the Watertown Daily Times. Their asbestos abatement work, however, isn’t complete.

Sixteen feet of asbestos piping insulation will be removed from the Potsdam Civic Center’s basement. Village Administrator Michael D. Weil noted that the abatement process will begin early this month.

The abatement is part of Potsdam Public Library’s project, which plans to build a community resource center in the Civic Center’s basement. In order to protect workers and future resource center visitors from the hazardous material, the asbestos will be removed.

Asbestos is a toxic material, found in many older homes and buildings. The material, once exploited for its fire retardant properties, was previously incorporated in drywall, tile flooring, piping and other construction materials.

Extended exposure to asbestos has been known to cause mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer. Mesothelioma is the most aggressive asbestos-related disease, which forms from the body’s mesothelium.

Symptoms of the disease, such as shortness of breath and chest pain, lie dormant for 10 to 50 years. Because of this, even the best mesothelioma doctors struggle to diagnose patients in the early stages of their disease.

The abatement project will be completed by LVI Environmental Services, of Massena, New York.

Two custodians have been charged with improper asbestos removal at Lakeland Higher University in New York. The two custodians improperly removed and disposed of the asbestos while removing floor tiles from many of the school’s classrooms. Because of their actions, the university will be fined $2,500.

Asbestos is a highly hazardous material, most commonly exploited for its fire retardant properties. The material can be found within many older homes, in drywall, roofing, piping and tile flooring. Exposure to the material has been known to cause mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis. Mesothelioma is an aggressive asbestos-related disease, known to affect 3,000 Americans each year.

Unfortunately, there is no mesothelioma cure. Instead, patients must undergo palliative treatment. Yet such treatment tends to arrive in the later stages of their disease. Even the best mesothelioma doctors struggle to diagnose patients in the early stages of their disease–due to its extended latency period.

Janitor Carmine Di Bernardo claims he and the other custodian had not received protective gear. Bernardo even noted that they disposed of the hazardous material in university trash bins. Bernardo also added that they had no prior knowledge of the asbestos, before beginning work.

Neither of the custodians was certified to complete asbestos abatement work.

Three Syracuse men have been sentenced to various prison terms due to their conviction last fall in an illegal asbestos abatement and cover-up operation. The Mancuso family have been found guilty on all counts.

Improper asbestos removal can lead to public airborne asbestos exposure. Such exposure can lead to diseases such as asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is one of the rarest and aggressive forms of diseases to arise from asbestos exposure, and typically affects the chest, abdominal and heart cavities. Mesothelioma doctors constantly search for more improved screening methods, in order to earlier detect the disease in patients.

For patients whom fail to show symptoms of the asbestos related disease for several decades, mesothelioma treatment typically comes too late for those diagnosed.

Lester Mancuso will serve three years in prison, his two sons, Paul and Steven, will, respectively, serve six years and 44 months.

Paul Mancuso is thought to be the mastermind behind the operation. In 2004, he had been convicted for a separate asbestos abatement operation, which prevented him from being involved in any further removal work.

Steven Mancuso is a local attorney, and is thought to have used his knowledge of the legal system to forge documents in order to cover-up his brothers’ and father’s illegal asbestos removal operations.

Paul and Steven’s brother, Ronald Mancuso, testified against the two in court, while also pleading guilty himself. Ronal is scheduled to be sentenced for his involvement in the operation, on June 16.