Dust: The Inside Story of its Role in the September 11th Aftermath

by Paul J. Lioy, Thomas H. Kean (Foreword)

One of the first scientists to take samples from Ground Zero after the destruction of the Twin Towers, Lioy shares his personal and professional perspectives on the World Trade Center dust. What was in the material that rained down after the disintegration of these buildings? Why did officials wrongly choose to focus on the release of asbestos? How did the size of the dust particles influence the development of the World Trade Center Cough among rescue workers and other New Yorkers? When were respirators used on site and what changes should be made to respirator design now? Dust answers these, and many other, questions about the environmental effects, public policy initiatives, health outcomes and scientific findings that played a critical role in the aftermath of September 11th. Beyond providing insightful analysis of what happened then, this book details the significant steps we need to take in order to better prepare for future catastrophes.

338 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 16, 2009

Reviews

[Mike S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dust, published in 2009, is a book by Paul Lioy, an environmental scientist who was part of a group of scientists that sampled and analyzed the dust at the World Trade Center site after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, focusing on the composition of the toxic materials in the dust. In the book, Lioy discusses what was in the dust, including how factors such as particle size, especially during the actual collapse and shortly after, affected the rescue workers.

The hardcover version of the book is around 250 pages. The book is informative, but it is not the easiest read. The better the knowledge of chemistry you have, the easier the book is to understand. While Lioy does write it in such a way that it can be understood even if you do not have a chemistry or chemical engineering degree, it is the cross between a news article intended for mass consumption and a peer-reviewed journal article. It does contain some interesting information, such as how the composition and particle size of the dust changed over various time periods, and why the amount of asbestos in the dust was not as significant an issue as some thought, as well as why they did not test for the presence of DNA in the dust.

The book does not focus on the actual 9/11 attacks. The discussion on the actual events amounts to a couple of paragraphs at most. So, if that is what you are most interested in, this book may not be for you. But, if you have followed the issues with the illnesses that people who worked at the Trade Center site have experienced, this is worth reading.