Health Impacts of the World Trade Center Disaster—A Call to Study Those Exposed at a Young Age

The September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center (9/11) exposed both disaster responders and community members to a complex mixture of environmental contaminants, resulting in long-term health consequences. While clinical and research efforts have characterized health effects among adult survivors (community members) and responders, less is known about individuals who were exposed in utero, during childhood, adolescence, or young adulthood. Recognizing this gap, Congress amended the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. § 300mm-51(c)) to establish a Research Cohort for Emerging Health Impacts on Youth to promote research on those individuals who were 21 years of age or younger at the time of exposure. This Commentary reviews the historical development of post-9/11 monitoring, treatment, and research programs, and discusses the unique challenges of conducting research in such a youth cohort 25 years after the event. A central coordinating center supported by community-based field sites offers a promising approach to promoting research among this cohort and addressing critical gaps in understanding the lifelong impacts of 9/11 exposures.