Lower Respiratory Symptoms Associated With Environmental and Reconstruction Exposures After Hurricane Sandy
Open accessAbstract
Objective: In a population with prior exposure to the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster, this study sought to determine the relationship between Hurricane Sandy-related inhalation exposures and post-Sandy lower respiratory symptoms (LRS). Methods: Participants included 3835 WTC Health Registry enrollees who completed Wave 3 (2011-2012) and Hurricane Sandy (2013) surveys. The Sandy-related inhalational exposures examined were: (1) reconstruction exposure; (2) mold or damp environment exposure; and (3) other respiratory irritants exposure. LRS were defined as wheezing, persistent cough, or shortness of breath reported on ≥1 of the 30 days preceding survey completion. Associations between LRS and Sandy exposures, controlling for socio-demographic factors, post-traumatic stress disorder, and previously reported LRS and asthma were examined using multiple logistic regression. Results: Over one-third of participants (34.4%) reported post-Sandy LRS. Each of the individual exposures was also independently associated with post-Sandy LRS, each having approximately twice the odds of having post-Sandy LRS. We found a dose-response relationship between the number of types of Sandy-related exposures reported and post-Sandy LRS. Conclusions: This study provides evidence that post-hurricane clean-up and reconstruction exposures can increase the risk for LRS. Public health interventions should emphasize the importance of safe remediation practices and recommend use of personal protective equipment. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:697-702)
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Heavy rains and extensive flooding create ideal conditions for bioaerosols such as mold to grow, and homes having flood damage had increased levels of mold growth.
“Heavy rains and extensive flooding create ideal conditions for bioaerosols, such as mold, to grow, and homes having flood damage had increased levels of mold growth.2,40,48”
From Effects of Extreme Weather on Health in Underserved Communities (2024) · cites this paper as [48]
The Introduction states that flooding creates ideal conditions for mold growth. The Methods group flooded homes and reported mold together as possible exposures, but the paper does not establish that flood-damaged homes had increased levels of mold growth. (LLM, conf=0.86)
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Research works printed but not linked: 18
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Effects of Extreme Weather on Health in Underserved Communities
Leap, S. R., Soled, D. R., Sampath, V., & Nadeau, K. C. (2024) · Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology · doi:10.1016/j.anai.2024.04.018 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
- Authors
- Gargano, L. M., Locke, S., Jordan, H. T., & Brackbill, R. M.
- Affiliations
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (US)
- Corresponding author
- Gargano, Lisa M.
- ORCID
- Gargano, Lisa M.
- Venue
- Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2018-01-21
- Volume
- 12
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 697-702
- ISSN
- 1935-7893 (ISSN-L)
- 1938-744X
- PMC
- PMC6054817
- OpenAlex
- W2791952611
- Cited by
- 25
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 5 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 2
- FWCI
- 3.44
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U50TS272750)
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (U50 OH009739)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Emergency Medical Services › Disaster Response and Management
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Occupational exposure and asthma
- Keywords
- Hurricane Sandy, lower respiratory symptoms, inhalation exposure, post-disaster reconstruction, mold exposure, respiratory irritants, World Trade Center Health Registry, post-traumatic stress disorder, asthma, dose-response relationship, personal protective equipment
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Asthma, Environmental Exposure, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Surveys and Questionnaires, Registries, Respiratory Tract Diseases, Risk Factors, Cohort Studies, Logistic Models, Cyclonic Storms, Construction Industry
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