James Zadroga's death was believed to be the first related to the cleanup effort following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The collapse of the twin towers is believed to have released several gases responsible for Zadroga's respiratory failure.
Zadroga died January 5 at the age of 34, and friends and family had noticed a sharp decline in his health after the cleanup effort.
His respiratory problems forced him to retire from the police department 14 months before his death. As many as 400 police officers who helped in the cleanup effort have reported breathing difficulties.
