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EPA Begins Work on Pilot WTC Dust Cleaning Study

Release Date: 06/19/2002
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(#02061) New York – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today began sampling for contaminants in 110 Liberty Street, a still-unoccupied building close to the World Trade Center (WTC) site, in what will be a comprehensive test of the effectiveness of various cleanup techniques. Cleaning procedures to be tested include those that were recommended following the collapse of the WTC as well as others that may have been used in cleaning residential units. Comprehensive sampling will be conducted before, during and after the pilot cleanup. 110 Liberty Street is a five-story, mixed use building containing twelve apartments and six commercial spaces. Windows and store fronts facing the WTC and the fifth floor sky lights were blown out, resulting in very heavy dust loads in those units. Residential spaces and the roof and basement were professionally cleaned shortly after the collapse of the WTC but became re- contaminated by dust raised during WTC recovery work. EPA will confirm and evaluate eight cleaning techniques during the study. Cleaning techniques will be specific to each apartment based on the amount of dust in the unit, the presence of carpets, drapes, etc., and the unit’s location in the building. Cleaning techniques to be evaluated include: The use of household (non-HEPA) vacuum cleaners. The use of retail HEPA vacuum cleaners. The use of commercial HEPA vacuum cleaners. The use of air filtration devices. The use of wet vacuuming and steam cleaning on carpeting, and Wet wiping and washing. HEPA vacuum cleaners are fitted with High Efficiency Particulate Air filters, capable of capturing tiny dust particles that would pass through a regular vacuum cleaner filter. Air filtration devices will be used in conjuntion with other devices to capture dust that may be resuspended during cleaning. Contaminants to be sampled for include asbestos, lead, dioxins, silica, calcite and gypsum, fibrous glass and PAHs (Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons), which are common by-products of combustion. Dust wipes will be used to collect samples from non-porous surfaces and micro vacs will be used to collect samples from fabrics and other porous materials. Where possible, bulk dust samples will be collected for testing. EPA will also evaluate various methods for cleaning HVAC systems. Laboratory data will be evaluated by EPA to determine the efficiency and effectiveness of each cleanup technique. Personal monitoring will measure possible exposures to the people doing the cleaning. Hard surfaces in all apartment units will be wet-wiped and washed following conclusion of the pilot study. EPA will also clean common areas in the building. The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) is cleaning the exterior of the building. The pilot testing of cleaning effectiveness is part of a major effort by EPA to reduce the safety concerns of residents of lower Manhattan. As part of that program, Manhattan residents who live south of Canal, Allen and Pike Streets can request the cleaning and/or testing of their homes by visiting EPA’s WTC Web site (https://www.epa.gov/wtc) or by calling EPA’s WTC Hotline at 1-877- 796-5471 or, for the deaf and hard of hearing, TTY 1-800-396-1018. IMPORTANT NOTE TO EDITORS: Due to potential health and safety concerns, workers will be suited up in custom-sized protective gear. EPA cannot allow media access to the building.