The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has begun enrolling adults exposed to World Trade Center dust as children into a new long-term health tracking programme. The effort targets survivors now in their thirties and forties who have lived with lingering health effects since 2001.

The initiative, run through the World Trade Center Health Program administered by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, follows nearly 25 years of monitoring first responders and adult survivors. CDC officials noted that the childhood-exposure cohort had been the least studied group despite decades of observable health consequences.

Researchers plan to screen participants for respiratory conditions, thyroid disorders and cancers linked to the toxic plume that spread across Lower Manhattan after the towers collapsed. A World Trade Center Health Program spokesperson said enrollment materials were being distributed through schools that operated near Ground Zero and through survivor advocacy networks.

The announcement responded to pressure from patient advocates and members of the New York congressional delegation, who warned that people exposed as minors were ageing into peak cancer-risk years without dedicated surveillance. Advocacy group leaders welcomed the step but urged Congress to secure long-term funding for the health programme, which has faced repeated budget uncertainty.

CDC officials said the first cohort of enrollees could begin clinical assessments before the end of 2026.