Deaths of 9-11 First Responders Continue

Continued from today's Tattooed On Your Soul, Not So Forgotten and Cooter's History Thing blogs.

Pulmonary fibrosis is among the diseases that can take decades to manifest themselves.  "We're not even two decades past the event,: Dr. Cosgrove says, "and  people with asbestos exposure for instance, for instance, don't begin to present until the third decade."

Doctors still don't fully understand how pulmonary fibrosis works.  It is relatively rare and causes are tough to track.  In addition, the lung injuries that cause some cases can stem from a wide range of factors.

The Ground Zero site contained dust that held heavy metals and asbestos among other hazards.  Over time, those irritants can produce scarring, or fibrosis in the lungs.  Some people will not develop it, but others develop progressive scarring over time.