Study: Thousands exposed to 9/11 dust have asthma

THOUSANDS of people exposed to choking dust after the destruction of the World Trade Centre twin towers in New York have developed asthma, a study has shown.

They included rescue and recovery workers, neighbouring office staff and passers-by.

A follow-up study of more than 46,000 people caught up in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, found one in 10 had been diagnosed with asthma five or six years after the disaster. None of these 4,600 individuals had a previous history of the disease.