Rhonchi

Pretty clever campaign, from Greenfamily Youth Association of Environment Protection:

New York Daily News – Home – WTC air doomed ex-cop

An autopsy of a retired NYPD detective confirmed yesterday what his family and fellow cops long suspected – that James Zadroga’s death was “directly related” to the Ground Zero cleanup.

The stunning findings are believed to mark the first time the death of a cleanup worker has been officially tied to the aftermath of the terror attacks.

“It is felt with a reasonable degree of medical certainty that the cause of death in this case was directly related to the 9/11 incident,” Dr. Gerard Breton, a pathologist at the Ocean County, N.J., medical examiner’s office wrote in the Feb. 28 autopsy report.

Zadroga died on Jan. 5 of pulmonary disease and respiratory failure – and he had lung-tissue inflammation Breton attributed to “a history of exposure to toxic fumes and dust.”

…

Zadroga spent more than 450 hours at Ground Zero, digging through debris and inhaling the noxious gases that are believed to be related to death.

“On Sept. 11, 2001, James Zadroga was a 29-year-old healthy human being,” Palladino said.

But after his work at the 9/11 site, the nonsmoker’s health “began to deteriorate rapidly,” Palladino added.

Zadroga developed respiratory ailments, had difficulty breathing and was found to have fiberglass in his lungs, Palladino said.

The cop retired on a disability on Nov. 1, 2004. The 34-year-old widower died at his parents home in Little Egg Harbor, N.J., just over 14 months later.

In January, the Daily News revealed that 22 other men, most in their 30s and 40s, have died from causes their families say were accelerated by working at Ground Zero after the attacks.

Yesterday, Palladino said that nearly 400 NYPD detectives are suffering from symptoms believed to have been brought on by their work at the disaster site.

Roomba and Respiratory Care… a connection I never would have imagined. Maybe Roomba needs DME (durable medical equipment) status.

Consumer Reports On Roomba
Several people with respiratory problems like allergies were extremely happy because the Roomba tirelessly cleans their rooms even when they are too tired to vacuum.

Most WTC Health Registry Enrollees Reported New or Worsened Respiratory Symptoms After 9/11/01

Most enrollees in the World Trade Center Health Registry reported having one or more respiratory problems that either began or got worse in the weeks and months after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City, according to the latest quarterly report issued today by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH).

Scary stuff.

Ground zero workers die from breathing debris laden air – The Cardio Blog
Workers who helped with clean up at Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks are being plagued with health problems ranging from respiratory disease to heart failure. James Zadroga, Timothy Keller and Felix Hernandez all worked at the site in various capacities. They all began to cough up bits of gravel after toiling in the debris soaked air. And within the past seven months all three men have died from respiratory related illnesses.