Study: 9/11 illness widespread

The study, the largest yet conducted of the thousands of rescue and recovery workers who labored at the World Trade Center site, said problems stemming from dust left behind by the fallen towers are likely to continue among those who inhaled it, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

The study found that about 70 percent of the approximate 10,000 workers tested at the hospital between 2002 and 2004 had developed new or experienced worsened respiratory problems after working at the site.

Doctors who conducted the study said they hope it will remove any doubt about the effects of the dust on workers at Ground Zero and encourage the federal government to provide health care for uninsured workers who fall ill because of the dust.

"There should no longer be any doubt about the health effects of the World Trade Center disaster," said Robin Herbert, co-director of Mount Sinai's World Trade Center Worker and Volunteer Medical Screening Program. "Our patients are sick, and they will need ongoing care for the rest of their lives."

Copyright 2006 by United Press International