Running Head: Pulmonary Loss in WTC Rescue Workers

Rationale: On September 11th 2001, the World Trade Center collapse created an enormous urban disaster site with high levels of airborne pollutants. First responders, rescue/recovery workers and residents have since reported respiratory symptoms and developed pulmonary function abnormalities. Objectives: To quantify respiratory health effects of World Trade Center exposure in the New York City Fire Department. Measurements: Longitudinal study of pulmonary function in 12,079 New York City Fire Department rescue workers employed on or before 09/11/2001. Between 01/01/1997 and 09/11/2002, 31,994 spirometries were obtained and the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) were analyzed for differences according to estimated World Trade Center exposure intensity. Adjusted average FEV1 during the first year after 09/11/2001 was compared to the 5 years before 09/11/2001. Median time between 09/11/2001 and a worker’s first spirometry afterwards was 3 months; 90 % were assessed within 5 months