James Zadroga

James Zadroga (c. 1971 – January 5, 2006) was a New York City Police Department officer who died of a respiratory disease that has been attributed to his participation in rescue and recovery operations in the rubble of the World Trade Center following the September 11, 2001 attacks. Zadroga was the first NYPD officer whose death was attributed to exposure to his contact with toxic chemicals at Ground Zero.Smith, Stephen. [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/23/national/main1342183.shtml "Tale Of The 'Walking Dead': A N.Y. Cop's Life Turns To Tragedy After Heroic 9/11 Work"] , "CBS News", February 24, 2006. Accessed September 12, 2008.] New York City officials have challenged the attribution of his cause of death.

Zadroga had joined the New York City Police Department in 1992, and attained the rank of Detective. He was a healthy non-smoker and had no known history of asthma or other respiratory conditions before spending 450 hours participating in the recovery efforts at Ground Zero after 9/11. Weeks after his time at the World Trade Center site, Zadroga developed a persistent cough, and as the months progressed, he developed shortness of breath and became unable to walk distances more than 100 feet without gasping for air. [Editorial. [http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2007/10/20/2007-10-20_hirsch_must_explain.html "Hirsch must explain"] . "Daily News (New York)", November 29, 2007. Accessed September 15, 2008.]

The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund awarded Zadroga a monetary settlement in 2004, after determining that his exposure to dust at Ground Zero had caused his respiratory illness. The New York City Police Department Medical Board approved his application for permanent disability retirement that same year, after concluding that his illness was related to dust exposure.

Autopsy findings and cause of death

The causes of Zadroga's death are under dispute. Gerard Breton, a pathologist of the Ocean County, New Jersey medical examiner's office, conducted an autopsy in April 2006 and reported that "It is felt with a reasonable degree of medical certainty that the cause of death in this case was directly related to the 9/11 incident."DePalma, Anthony. [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/14/nyregion/14dust.html "Debate Revives as 9/11 Dust Is Called Fatal"] , "The New York Times", April 14, 2006. Accessed September 13, 2008.] This attribution made Zadroga, 34-years-old at the time of his death, the first 9/11 responder whose death was directly linked with toxic Ground Zero substances. Breton's autopsy found what he described as "unidentified foreign materials" in Zadroga's lungs, but the examination did not compare the particles found in his lungs with actual dust from the World Trade Center site. Autopsy samples of material found in Zadroga's lungs sent by Breton to the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Washington, D.C. were identified as talc, cellulose, calcium phosphate and methacrylate plastic.DePalma, Anthony. [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/26/nyregion/26autopsy.html "City Says Prescription Misuse Caused Death of Detective Who Worked at 9/11 Site "] , "The New York Times", October 26, 2007. Accessed September 13, 2008.]

However, the New York City Medical Examiners Office asserted in October 2007 that Zadroga's death was not related to his time at Ground Zero, with Chief Medical Examiner Charles Hirsch and another medical examiner signing a statement that "It is our unequivocal opinion, with certainty beyond doubt, that the foreign material in your son’s lungs did not get there as the result of inhaling dust at the World Trade Center or elsewhere."McFadden, Robert D. [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/19/nyregion/19autopsy.html "Rejecting ’06 Finding, Report Says Detective Didn’t Die From 9/11 Dust"] , "The New York Times", October 19, 2007. Accessed September 13, 2008.] Hirsch concluded that Zadroga died from self-injection of ground drugs, with Hirsch finding severe scarring in his lungs that he determined was caused by cellulose and talc granulomas and stating (through a spokesperson) that "The lung disease he had was a consequence of injecting prescription drugs". Officials from the Chief Medical Examiner's office met with the Zadroga family to present his findings. [DePalma, Anthony. [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/20/nyregion/20autopsy.html "Family in 9/11 Dust Case Visits Medical Examiner"] , "The New York Times", October 20, 2007. Accessed September 15, 2008.]

In response to the City Medical Examiner's autopsy results, Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg stated "We wanted to have a hero, and there are plenty of heroes, it’s just in this case, science says this was not a hero" at remarks made after receiving an award from the Harvard School of Public Health, but backed away from his earlier characterization at a news conferences stating that "This was a great N.Y.P.D. officer who dedicated himself — put his life in harm’s way hundreds of times during his career — and you can use your own definition." [Cardwell, Diane. [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/31/nyregion/31hero.html "Mayor Backs Away From Questioning Dead Officer’s Heroism "] , "The New York Times", October 31, 2007. Accessed September 13, 2008.]

A third opinion obtained by Zadroga's family later that month from Dr. Michael Baden, chief forensic pathologist of the New York State Police (and former New York City Medical Examiner), backed the original claim of WTC dust responsibility, citing the presence of glass fibers in Zadroga's lungs that could not be related to injecting drugs. James' father, Joseph, said that the medical examiner reported no "track marks on his arms or body." and that his son had taken anti-anxiety medications and painkillers including OxyContin, but had never ground up and injected the drugs. [http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2007/10/26/2007-10-26_city_says_drug_use_not_dust_killed_911_h-2.html "City says drug use, not dust killed 9/11 hero James Zadroga."] "Daily News (New York)", October 26, 2007. Accessed September 12, 2008.]

9/11 recovery worker legislation

Then-Governor of New York George Pataki signed legislation on August 14, 2006, to expand death benefits to Ground Zero workers who die from cancer or respiratory diseases, under the presumption that the cause was due to exposure during recovery efforts. Pataki mentioned Zadroga at the bill-signing ceremony, held at the World Trade Center site. [Cooper, Michael. [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/15/nyregion/15benefits.html "Pataki Signs Law Increasing Death Benefits for Ground Zero Workers"] , "The New York Times", August 15, 2006. Accessed September 13, 2008.] The sponsors of the James Zadroga Act, intended to provide health monitoring and financial aid to sick 9/11 workers are Senator Bob Menendez and Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney. [ [http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s109-3891, S. 3891 - 109th] , James Zadroga Act of 2006 (GovTrack.us)] ] [ [http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h109-6045 H.R. 6045 — 109th] , James Zadroga Act of 2006 (GovTrack.us)] ]

Personal

Zadroga will be honored in his hometown of North Arlington, New Jersey with the renaming of the Skyline Sports Complex, from where the Twin Towers could be seen, which will become the James Zadroga Soccer Field as of September 21, 2008. The borough will also unveil two monuments to Zadroga as part of the ceremonies. [Clunn, Nick. [http://www.northjersey.com/news/Cop_who_died_from_Sept_11_lung_disease_will_be_honored.html "Cop who died from Sept. 11 lung illness to be honored"] , "The Record (Bergen County)", September 11, 2008. Accessed September 13, 2008.]

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