Revisiting Asbestos Related Injuries (and other toxic contaminants)

 PRESS RELEASE 

DETOXSCAN™ Program to Cover Diagnostic Front in Environmental Exposure Care

New York, NY (October 2025) — Twenty-four years after 9/11, thousands of responders and residents are still living with the delayed effects of toxic dust exposure. To address the growing wave of asbestos-related and environmental illnesses, diagnostic imaging specialist Dr. Robert L. Bard has introduced DETOXSCAN™, a precision-imaging program designed to identify early signs of toxin-induced disorders in the skin, lungs, liver, and kidneys.

The Hidden Legacy of Dust Exposure

The collapse of the Twin Towers released more than 400,000 tons of pulverized debris containing asbestos, silica, lead, mercury, benzene, and microplastics.¹ Over 90,000 first responders were directly exposed, and studies confirm continuing increases in respiratory disease, autoimmune disorders, and cancers—including mesothelioma, whose incidence among responders remains nearly 11 times higher than normal populations.²,³

“Dust is not inert—it’s biologically active,” says Dr. Bard. “It carries fibrogenic and carcinogenic particles that continue to inflame tissues decades after exposure.”

But asbestos is only one piece of the modern exposure crisis. Today’s construction, demolition, and fire-recovery environments contain mold spores, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), heavy metals, and combustion byproducts, each capable of triggering oxidative stress, immune dysfunction, and systemic inflammation. Workers and nearby residents frequently present with skin irritation, chronic cough, headaches, and fatigue—signs that often precede liver fibrosis, renal damage, or malignancy.

 

DETOXSCAN™: Imaging the Unseen

Dr. Bard’s DETOXSCAN™ applies high-resolution ultrasound, Doppler flow studies, elastography, and thermography to reveal tissue reactions from toxic exposures long before they appear in laboratory tests. By mapping inflammation, vascular disruption, and fibrosis, clinicians can monitor detoxification progress and identify those at risk for chronic illness.

“The skin is a living dashboard of toxic stress,” explains Dr. Bard. “With imaging and AI analytics, we can now translate what it shows into quantifiable clinical data.”

Using pattern recognition, DETOXSCAN™ differentiates exposure-related inflammation from infection or autoimmune disease. The system’s growing image database—built in collaboration with occupational health specialists—links diagnostic visuals to toxin-specific biomarkers, creating one of the first AI-enabled archives of exposure pathology.

Advocacy, Prevention, and Detox Science

The initiative pays tribute to the work of individuals like Anne-Marie Principe, a 9/11 health advocate who continues to champion screening and care for responders. It also honors Dr. David Root, whose clinical detoxification protocols using sauna-niacin therapy demonstrated measurable reductions in stored industrial toxins.⁴ DETOXSCAN™ incorporates such research within a diagnostic framework, allowing clinicians to evaluate the biological results of detox interventions.

“Detoxification isn’t fringe—it’s prevention,” says Dr. Bard. “By integrating imaging, lab biomarkers, and exposure history, we can help protect workers and families long before disease develops.”

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A National Model for Exposure Medicine

Beyond New York, similar toxic exposure patterns have been documented among wildfire crews, industrial reclamation teams, and urban demolition workers.⁵ Dr. Bard envisions DETOXSCAN™ as a national surveillance model—merging imaging diagnostics with environmental medicine to track the biological footprint of pollution and occupational hazards.

“The dust of 9/11 taught us that toxic exposure is a slow-moving disaster,” Dr. Bard concludes. “Our mission now is to detect the invisible damage early—and give survivors a chance to heal.”

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References (AMA Style)

1.     Prezant DJ, et al. Respiratory health of 9/11 rescue workers: a 20-year perspective. Lancet Respir Med. 2022;10(8):785-796.

2.     Carbone M, Yang H. Molecular mechanisms of asbestos carcinogenesis. Clin Cancer Res. 2012;18(3):598-604.

3.     Li J, Cone JE, Kahn AR, et al. Cancer incidence among World Trade Center rescue and recovery workers, 2002-2018. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(9):e2230595.

4.     Root DE, Hubbard RL. The sauna-niacin detoxification method in the treatment of environmental chemical exposures. Clin Toxicol. 1992;30(5):653-665.

5.     Bard RL, Valle-Montoya L, Goetze L. Image-guided diagnostics for environmental exposure. HealthTech Reporter. 2024;2(3):18-25.