"Mexico’s Earthquake Survivors Face The Same Crippling Health Issues As 9.11 First Responders Due To Toxic Cloud Of Concrete, Asbestos, Fungus, And More" - Mia De Graaf
A tumult of photographs and videos captured the devastating scale of Mexico’s 7.1 magnitude earthquake, which killed 282 people. All bore one ominous hallmark: a cloud of dust. Now the millions of affects citizens are faced with the chilling reality that as they search through the rubble for survivors, they are being exposed to a second (silent) terror. Experts warn the people who were in these affected areas - and those involved in the recovery efforts - face the same health issues as the 9/11 first responders, and in some cases worse given that the region is home to three dangerous types of fungal spore. “While 9/11 was a hit on a single-use building, an earthquake doesn't discriminate,” said Louis DePalo, MD, professor of medicine, pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, who has worked directly with 9/11 survivors. It's not controlled - you could have dry cleaners, fire stations, chemical plants, gas stations... the scale of toxins is far greater, and that's the real challenge. “There's a big inhalation risk, and there could be many different things you're exposed to. The one thing that is common in terms of all the buildings' foundations is probably concrete, and that is very dangerous. The other big thing is mold, which has been linked to premature deaths,” added Dr. DePalo. “Of course the horrible thing with something like this is that your health is not your priority. The people there were just trying to get away from this hell. You're not thinking about your lungs in a situation like this.”
- Louis DePalo, MD, Professor, Medicine, Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
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