Author Archives: Michael Barasch
What Were the Toxic Substances in the 9/11 World Trade Center Dust?
If there is a single image of what happened on September 11, 2001 in New York City, it is the still-standing World Trade Center (WTC) towers burning with a trail of smoke pouring out of what had to be unimaginable horror inside. But a full dozen years after the towers fell, the dust cloud from […]
What Digestive Disorders Resulted from the 9/11 Attacks?
The death toll of those who died on September 11, 2001 is believed to have been 2,606 in the World Trade Center twin towers, plus passengers in the two airplanes that struck the buildings. In addition to this intense tragedy and loss, the cloud of toxic dust that surviving police, firemen, emergency workers, office workers […]
Lung Injuries Resulting from the 9/11 Attacks
In the moments, days, weeks and months following the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC) in 2001, clouds of dust enveloped Lower Manhattan. As the debris was cleared from the site, that same dust found its way to the Fresh Kills landfill on Staten Island. Thousands of first responders inhaled this dust, […]
Yes, World Trade Center (WTC) Dust Contained Asbestos
In the immediate aftermath of the attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC) on September 11, 2001, the clouds of dust created an unforgettable image of horror, destruction and death. Buildings that had defined the New York City skyline for decades were gone, with something truly sinister replacing them. First responders, neighbors and those lucky […]
Time Capsule Honors the Fallen
Twenty-five years from now — when no one under the age of 40 has personal memories of the tragedy that befell America on September 11, 2001 — a time capsule is to be opened in a Long Island park to remind young and old of the responders who lost their lives in the aftermath. Supporters […]
The Good That Has Arisen
It is hard to imagine that anything good could come from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on America. Yet underlying the memories of grief and shock that revisit us every year on the anniversary of the tragedy, we must also remember the unprecedented sense of solidarity and caring that arose in the aftermath of the […]
The Long-Lasting Effects of 9/11 Dust: Zadroga Act Funds for Late Discovery of Disease
As many as 400,000 people were exposed to dust and debris in the aftermath of the attacks on September 11, 2001. Those individuals included everyone from first responders (fire, police and emergency medical technicians), occupants of the World Trade Center (WTC) who were fortunate enough to escape before the buildings’ collapse, volunteers, cleanup crews, nearby […]
What to Do if Your WTC Health Claim Is Denied
To be eligible to receive free treatment for an illness under the Zadroga Act, your medical provider at the World Trade Center Health Program must submit an evaluation of your history and condition to the program administrator. Then the program administrator must certify your condition as genuinely connected to the 9/11 attacks. What happens if […]
Memory and Memorialization
Every year on September 11, the memories come flooding back. Some remember the horror of watching the events unfold on TV — or while standing in the street below. Some remember their own survival and the joy of reuniting with loved ones. And some remember the moment they knew their loved one was not coming […]
Why Should 9/11 Illness Victims Use an Attorney to File a Zadroga Act Claim?
Thousands of people who survived the attacks of September 11, 2001 — at the World Trade Center (WTC) in New York, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania — have unfortunately contracted illnesses and injuries because they were in that vicinity at that time. But thanks to an act of Congress, there are funds available to help […]
