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Official death toll -

According to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum website, the September 11 attacks killed 2,977 people and injured thousands  at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.

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More than two decades later -

Now, over 20 years later, the death toll stands much higher, as people continue to die from diseases attributed to the dust and smoke produced by the attacks.

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Growing number of deaths - According to the BBC, dust and smoke-related diseases, such as cancers and respiratory illnesses, have caused the death of twice the number of people who died in the attacks themselves.

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Groups affected - The groups of people affected by illnesses associated with 9/11 range from first responders, some of whom spent months on the scene, to children who attended nearby schools.

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Types of disease -

The types of diseases affecting 9/11 survivors vary greatly, and some people have much better access to treatment than others.

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The WTC Health Program -

Since 2011, the US government's World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program has provided medical monitoring and treatment to those directly affected by the 9/11 attacks.

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Looking at the data -

The data provided by the WTC Health Program is very useful when it comes to understanding the kinds of diseases that 9/11 survivors have developed.

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Cancers - On the one hand, a wide range of cancers have been reported in around 37,500 (out of a total of 128,000) people who are enrolled in the program.

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Range of cancers - The most commonly reported cancers are non-melanoma skin cancer and prostate cancer, but there are also others, including breast cancer, lymphoma, and lung cancer.

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Breathing problems -

On the other hand, many program participants have reported breathing problems, most of which were probably caused by an intense inflammatory response to inhaling dust.

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Respiratory conditions -

Data shows that many people involved in 9/11 suffer from respiratory conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and painful chronic rhinosinusitis.

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Invisible illnesses - And then there are all the diseases that are more difficult to spot: according to the WTC Health Program, many members suffer from mental health conditions.

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Mental health conditions - Indeed, the number of people suffering from depression, anxiety disorders, panic disorders, and PTSD due to the WTC attacks is still high.

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Addressing mental health -

As many of the first responders grow older and start to retire, they become more likely to address their health seriously, and mental health is part of that.

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Cognitive impairments -

There is even evidence that the dust and smoke from the Twin Towers caused cognitive impairment in some of the people who were exposed.

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Airborne neurotoxins -

According to the study that revealed this link, this may have been due to organic neurotoxins that became airborne when the buildings fell.

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Groups affected -

Many of the people most affected by 9/11-related diseases were first responders who arrived on the scene shortly after the attack itself.

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First on the scene -

As a huge cloud of dust and smoke billowed out across Lower Manhattan, over the East River, and into Brooklyn, emergency workers rushed over to help control the scene and rescue survivors.

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Toxic air -

The air that they breathed was laden with dust, and subsequent research shows that it contained considerable amounts of asbestos, heavy metals, lead, and toxic chemicals.

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Statistics -

Breathing in this toxic air had a huge impact on the health of rescue workers; in 2024, they made up around two-thirds of all WTC Health Program participants.

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The real number -

Moreover, the actual number of rescue workers affected is probably higher, since their number is not only restricted to people in New York.

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Full scale -

Indeed, people came from all 50 US states and from all over the world to help deal with the fallout of 9/11. The full scale of the problem is, therefore, quite difficult to ascertain.

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Members of the public -

It was not only rescue workers who were affected. Many members of the public in New York are also starting to develop conditions related to the dust and smoke they inhaled in the wake of 9/11.

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Case study -

For example, Lila Nordstrom was just 17 years old and in a classroom when the Twin Towers started to fall, and dust rushed into her school.

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Asthma -

Nordstrom's school was just three blocks from the towers, and she believes that the dust she inhaled is the primary cause of her worsening asthma.

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The WTC Health Program -

As previously mentioned, the WTC Health Program provides monitoring and health care for people whose health has been affected by the 9/11 attacks.

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Benefits -

For some people, this has brought important benefits, such as better cancer survival rates.

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Better cancer survival rates -

Indeed, according to the BBC, cancer survival rates are higher among 9/11 first responders than the general population, due to free medical care and better monitoring.

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Going forward -

Only time will tell, however, what is the actual death toll of 9/11, as people continue to develop a variety of medical conditions as a result of the attacks.

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Coping mechanisms -

In the meantime, first responders and survivors present during 9/11 continue to talk about their experiences as a means of coping with their ongoing struggles.

Sources: (BBC) (911 Memorial & Museum)

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