Many 9/11 first responders are now suffering from kidney damage.
Ground Zero first responders were exposed to a number of harmful inhalants including "cement dust, smoke, glass fibers, and heavy metals." For the first time researchers have linked these particles to kidney problems, a Mount Sinai Hospital news release reported.
"Our study shows the first responders with the highest exposure to the 9/11 particulate matter had significantly greater levels of albumin in their urine than the first responders in the study with low exposure levels," Mary Ann McLaughlin, MD, principal investigator for the WTC-CHEST Program at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai who also serves as medical director of the Cardiac Health Program and co-director of the Women's Cardiac Assessment and Risk Evaluation Program at The Mount Sinai Hospital, said. "We believe high exposure to the massive dust cloud of air pollution at Ground Zero may have extremely inflamed the endothelial lining of blood vessels leading to the kidneys causing kidney malfunction and the development of kidney damage in first responders."
A research team looked at 183 9/11 first responders, and considered their "arrival, proximity, duration, and level of exposure." They also analyzed the amount of albumin in the study participants' urine, which is an indicator of renal damage. The team found a significant link between toxins many 9/11 first responders were exposed to and an increased concentration of albumin in the urine.
"We observed a statistically significant and independent relationship between first responder's high exposure to particulate matter and albuminuria," Dr. McLaughlin said. "Our novel research findings will pave the way for the future early diagnosis and care of these first responders' impaired kidney health. Also, in addition, it will lead to further exploration of the impact of environmental exposures and inflammation in the pathogenesis of albuminuria."
