Summary
More than two decades after September 11, 2001, researchers have found the clearest evidence yet that the toxic dust at Ground Zero raised the risk of lung cancer for the people who worked there.
A team from Stony Brook University followed more than 12,000 World Trade Center responders — firefighters, police officers, construction workers, and volunteers — starting more than ten years after the attacks, through the end of 2023. Over that time, 118 of them were diagnosed with lung cancer.
The risk wasn’t the same for everyone. Responders who had moderate exposure to the dust and fumes at Ground Zero had an 86% higher risk of lung cancer than those with only mild exposure. Responders with severe exposure had nearly three times the risk. This held true even after researchers accounted for how much people smoked, which means the toxic dust itself — not just smoking habits — appears to be driving the added risk.
Certain specific exposures stood out. Responders who reported smelling strong fumes or sewage odors at the site had a higher lung cancer risk too, even after adjusting for other factors.
This is one of the first studies to actually find this link. Earlier research didn’t turn up the same results, most likely because lung cancer can take many years to develop, and because WTC responders as a group have historically had lower smoking rates than the general population — both of which can hide a real risk if a study doesn’t follow people long enough or measure exposure closely enough.
The researchers say the findings point to two clear next steps: helping responders quit smoking if they haven’t already, since it adds even more risk on top of their exposure, and making sure eligible responders are getting regular lung cancer screening. For a population whose risk doesn’t come from a typical smoking history, screening and follow-up care matter just as much as they do for anyone else at high risk.
