Study Connects Neighborhood Conditions to World Trade Center Responder Health
Greater heat and air pollution were associated with poorer long-term health, while greener surroundings were linked to lower risks.
- By Danielle Naidu
- Sep 14, 2026
Neighborhood heat, air pollution and access to green space may influence the long-term physical and mental health of World Trade Center responders, researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai found.
The study, published in Nature Communications, found that responders living in hotter and more polluted areas generally had greater risks of frailty, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Greener surroundings were associated with lower risks of all three conditions.
Researchers analyzed health information from 18,734 responders living in New York City and enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Program. They compared health assessments with annual exposure to fine particulate matter, high temperatures and neighborhood greenery.
The findings also suggested that responders with greater exposure to toxic substances and psychological trauma following the Sept. 11 attacks may be more vulnerable to environmental conditions later in life. However, most differences involving the intensity of their World Trade Center exposure were not statistically significant. The researchers said further study is needed.
World Trade Center responders encountered chemical hazards and severe psychological stress during rescue, recovery and cleanup work. The research examined whether conditions in the neighborhoods where they later lived could add to that long-term health burden.
Because the study was observational, it identified associations but did not establish that neighborhood conditions caused the health outcomes. Other factors not measured by the researchers may also have influenced the results.
About the Author
Danielle Naidu is assistant editor for Security Today, Campus Security Today, Occupational Health & Safety and Environmental Protection Online.