Asbestos and the WTC Collapse
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They are still pulling bodies from what was once the World Trade Center and people are already using the tragedy to make political points, a process called shoehorning. Among them is Steven Milloy, the "Junkman", who has claimed that "Asbestos Could Have Saved WTC Lives" But there are several problems with his statement (some of these were addressed in a second article, "Asbestos Column Raised Awareness", but this report is also problematic).
1. Claim that worries about asbestos were based on hysteria. This is a favorite claim of Milloy and other "brownlash" authors. But even Milloy notes, in his second report, that deaths related to asbestos have run into the thousands.
2. Claim that asbestos containing insulation would have delayed melting of the steel for up to four hours. Presumably this means that the asbestos based insulation had a four hour test rating. But according to Milloy the replacement also passed the Underwriters Laboratories’ tests. The problem is that the tests would have simulated a normal building fire, not the infernos that happened on September 11. Obviously the higher temperatures would shorten the time before the steel failed.
Note that Milloy does not say that the asbestos insulation would last for four hours, but instead writes "up to four hours". The "up to" acts as a weasel phrase. In the actual test the columns would have lasted for over four hours. Also note a minor nit: the columns did not melt, they lost strength and fail.
3. Appeal to authority. Milloy's main source for the claim that the non-asbestos insulation was inferior is Herbert Levine, the man who invented the process for applying asbestos insulation. Since both types of insulation presumably passed the same tests, it is hard to see what this claim is based on. Levine is quoted as saying that "if a fire breaks out above the 64th floor, that building will fall down." Did he really think that a trash can fire would bring one of these buildings down?
4. Omitted evidence. The four hour rating assume that the insulation is in good condition. But as John Young has pointed out, much of the insulation was probably blasted away by the initial impacts and explosions. The steel itself was also probably damaged.
Comments on the second article.
5. The timing is wrong. Not just because people are still grieve, but because Milloy did not wait for any of the analysis of the collapses that are sure to come out.
6. Inevitability of collapse. It is interesting that many readers criticised Milloy for a claim that he did not make; that asbestos insulation would have prevented the buildings collapsed. People do not read carefully, especially when an emotionally charged subject is involved. It is easy to see how Milloy can get away with a subtle deception like the claim that the asbestos based insulation would last "up to four hours".
7. Asbestos hysteria once again. But Milloy's data, that asbestos related deaths peaked in the late 1990s, simply shows that efforts to reduce dangers from asbestos exposure have been successful.
8. More evidence? Here Milloy introduces hearsay evidence, based on yet more hearsay evidence. Several version's of how much asbestos insulation was used have appeared. For example, in his first article Milloy said that asbestos was used up to the 64th floor. Even if this person's version is correct, Milloy's analysis is junk science of the first order. The events on both towers would have to be the same in order to make a valid comparison. But there is one obvious difference, tower two was struck at a lower level. This means that there was more weight on the most damaged area on that tower. There were also, potentially, more floors on fire above the crash site.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Update (December 7, 2001)
Investigations into the twin towers collapse, including a forum at Columbia University, continue, as reported by Robert Koenig in the November 23, 2001 issue of Science (pages 1646-1647). According to Koenig "Several experts also say the loss of fireproofing-which was stripped of trusses or columns by impacts of chunks of the aircraft during the collisions-may have been an important factor." The experts are also weighing in on why one tower collapsed sooner:
Many investigating engineers believe that the South Tower-which was struck 15 minutes later than the North Tower but fell 29 minutes before its twin-collapsed more more quickly because the two planes slammed into the building at different places. The second crashed off-center and likely damaged more of the interior columns. It also hit lower, meaning that the weakened columns had to support 15 more floors above them.
Related links
NEW NOVA Online | Why the Towers Fell | PBS According to the NOVA show, foam insulation was used because it was lighter in weight. No mention was made of asbestos. The show also noted several times that most of the insulation was knocked off. And the show reported that the south tower's earlier fall probably was the result of extra weight on the damaged area. Note: I visited the Junk Science site on May 1, 2002 (the day after the show aired) and did not see any reference to the show.
NEW The Junkman's Answer to Terrorism: Use More Asbestos
NEW Asbestos Use in the Construction of the World Trade Center
NEW Collapse of the World Trade Center Towers by G Charles Clifton. In Clifton's opinion, the collapse of the towers was caused primarily by the collisions, not the resulting fires. He also believes that most of the insulation was removed by the collisions.
World Trade Centre - New York - Some Engineering Aspects from The University of Sydney - Department of Civil Engineering, includes several comments from experts on the WTC collapse
WTC Asbestos Junk Science by John Young
CSICOP Terrorist Attack HoaxWatch
Urban Legends Reference Pages: Rumors of War
Asbestos and the challenger disaster
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Written by Jim Norton
Visit my anti-environmental myths home page.
Visit my practical skepticism page
The text on these pages may be freely copied, distributed and posted as long as my name, this statement and the URL (http://info-pollution.com/wtc.htm) are included.