Day Of Reconing

1 Pages 276 Words

NEW YORK (AP) -- Dozens of teachers and students at a high school next to the World Trade Center site are having trouble breathing and school officials have brought in an epidemiology team to find out why.

About 80 of the Stuyvesant High School's 3,200 students and teachers have complained of respiratory problems, headaches and nausea since returning to classes October 9. A few students are wearing respirator masks to school, four blocks north of where the twin towers once stood.

"It smells bad and I know there are other things in the air that are harmful to my health," said Joseph Lew, 16, who left school Thursday with a white mask over his nose and mouth.

Alex Menglide and Paola Conery, both 14, also held respirator masks.


Stuyvesant school administrators brought in an epidemiology team to find out why some students, such as Ruofei Xiang, right, and June Liang, both 15, are having trouble breathing.
"We just want to be on the safe side," said Menglide, admitting "It's not exactly the cool thing to do."

One problem could be the elevated levels of carbon dioxide, because only 10 percent of the building's air had been coming from outside, compared to 25 percent before September 11, a school spokeswoman said. On Thursday, that level was restored.

Epidemiologists began examining indoor air quality data Wednesday. Outdoor tests have indicated no problematic levels of asbestos or toxins.

"We just want to have an abundance of caution here," said Karen Finney, a spokeswoman for the school.

A doctor and nurse from the Department of Health have been at the high school since it reopened....