The results of a five-month federal study by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry has shown that airborne asbestos found at Hunting Point apartments is not harmful when breathed in for weeks and months at a time, but there was not enough data to predict the long-term effects of the exposure.
Hunting Point, which is comprised of 530-unit towers, had been undergoing renovations when the asbestos was found in floors, doors, and windows. Since the work began in September, numerous residents of the apartments had made complaints to the landlord, city, and state. One complaint was made to the Environmental Protection Agency, prompting an investigation and the issuance of a stop-work order.
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, which is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, examined the dust and air samples collected at the site. Testing showed that the concentration of asbestos “[did] not appear to be high enough to harm the health of people who breathe this air for relatively short periods of time,” the agency said in a letter to the EPA.
The letter was shared with residents of Hunting Point, who generally felt better after finding out the results. However, there was still concern over the residents’ safety. “The real crux of this is there was exposure to asbestos dust, and nobody has been able to settle how much [exposure] is too much,” said Mary Hesdorffer, a nurse practitioner and executive director of the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, a nonprofit organization. “There may be people who are more sensitive than others. We’re seeing younger and younger children with mesothelioma. There is just no safe level.”
Hesdorffer advised Hunting Point residents to ensure their medical records indicate they have been exposed to asbestos. Asbestos exposure is the primary cause of mesothelioma, a type of cancer that is difficult to diagnose and is almost always fatal. Each year, there are more than 3,000 mesothelioma diagnoses.