Trace and Major Element Concentrations in Cadaveric Lung Tissues from World Trade Center Health Registry Decedents and Community Controls

Michael Marmor (), Joyce L. Burcham, Lung-Chi Chen, Steven N. Chillrud, Jason K. Graham, Hannah T. Jordan, Mianhua Zhong, Elizabeth Halzack, James E. Cone and Yongzhao Shao
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Michael Marmor: Departments of Population Health and Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
Joyce L. Burcham: Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
Lung-Chi Chen: Division of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
Steven N. Chillrud: Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, NY 10964, USA
Jason K. Graham: New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner and Department of Forensic Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
Hannah T. Jordan: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, World Trade Center Health Registry, New York, NY 11101, USA
Mianhua Zhong: Department of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
Elizabeth Halzack: Department of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
James E. Cone: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, World Trade Center Health Registry, New York, NY 11101, USA
Yongzhao Shao: Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 20, 1-18

Abstract: Studies of the health impacts of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on New York City’s (NYC’s) World Trade Center (WTC) towers have been hindered by imprecise estimates of exposure. We sought to identify potential biomarkers of WTC exposure by measuring trace and major metal concentrations in lung tissues from WTC-exposed individuals and less exposed community controls. We also investigated associations of lung tissue metal concentrations with self-reported exposure and respiratory symptoms. The primary analyses contrasted post-mortem lung tissue concentrations obtained from autopsies in 2007–2011 of 76 WTC Health Registry (WTCHR) enrollees with those of 55 community controls. Community controls were frequency-matched to WTCHR decedents by age at death, calendar quarter of death, gender, race, ethnicity and education and resided at death in NYC zip codes less impacted by WTC dust and fumes. We found WTCHR decedents to have significantly higher iron (Fe) lung tissue concentrations than community controls. Secondary analyses among WTCHR decedents adjusted for sex and age showed the log(molybdenum (Mo)) concentration to be significantly associated with non-rescue/recovery exposure. Post hoc analyses suggested that individuals whose death certificates listed usual occupation or industry as the Sanitation or Police Departments had elevated lung tissue Fe concentrations. Among WTCHR decedents, exposure to the WTC dust cloud was significantly associated with elevated lung tissue concentrations of titanium (Ti), chromium (Cr) and cadmium (Cd) in non-parametric univariable analyses but not in multivariable analyses adjusted for age and smoking status. Logistic regression adjusted for age and smoking status among WTCHR decedents showed one or more respiratory symptoms to be positively associated with log (arsenic (As)), log(manganese (Mn)) and log(cobalt (Co)) concentrations, while new-onset wheezing and sinus problems were negatively associated with log(Fe) concentration. Fe concentrations among individuals with wheezing, nonetheless, exceeded those in community controls. In conclusion, these data suggest that further research may be warranted to explore the utility as biomarkers of WTC exposure of Fe in particular and, to a lesser extent, Mo, Ti, Cr and Cd in digestions of lung tissue.

Keywords: World Trade Center disaster; autopsy; lung; trace elements; exposure estimation; epidemiology; iron; molybdenum; titanium; chromium; arsenic; national technical information services (NTIS) standards (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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