September
September 11, 2001
World Trade Center, Pentagon and Flight 93. Within a year, 358 firefighters and five emergency medical service personnel involved in the WTC rescue and recovery efforts will be placed on medical leave or light-duty assignments due to respiratory problems according to a study published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many of the sick firefighters had not used proper safety gear and now have "WTC cough," which refers to a combination of sinus congestion and irritation of the throat, lower airways, and esophageal tract. Only 48 percent of those who had serious WTC coughs have improved enough to return to full-time work, CDC said.
September 9, 2004
Scientists publish a study showing that air pollution damages the lungs of Southern California children in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study examined children who were subjected to higher levels of air pollution and found that they developed underperforming lungs at a higher rate than children in lower-pollution areas.