Over 3,000 people died in the 2001 terrorist attacks on the September 11th attacks in New York but the death toll is set to rise due to a hidden killer. The Twin towers which dominated the Manhattan skyline were completed in the early seventies and experienced much of their construction during a period in which Asbestos was perfectly legal.

The toxic material was banned around the time the builders had completed the 40th floors and alternatives were then used but there was no rule forcing builders to remove the existing asbestos for which the cost would be more than the value of the buildings.

When the terrorists hijacked the aircraft and crashed them into the towers the subsequent collapse of the buildings released hundreds of tonnes of the toxic material into the air which remained present for over 5 weeks. The dust eventually settled but it covered most of downtown Manhattan including air conditioning systems, buildings, furniture and walls, most of which are permanently contaminated.

The Environmental Protection agency declared the area safe after just 5 days which was arguably far too early and put many of the returning residents and workers at risk. A study has determined that around 76% of those who returned to the area before it was officially safe are already suffering respiratory problems.

An estimated 100,000 individuals have been exposed to the lethal toxins which could manifest in the form of a variety of diseases such as Asbestosis, Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma in decades to come.

In 2006, New York Fire Official Deborah Reeve died of Mesothelioma and was declared the first fatality of the 9/11 attacks directly linked to an exposure to asbestos.

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