New York City firefighters who risked their lives on September 11th and the days that followed now face a new battle with a different enemy. As many as 500 firefighters are currently on leave suffering from chronic coughs, asthma, and other respiratory illnesses that may have been acquired during the ground zero cleanup.

According to Thomas Manley, a representative of the Uniformed Firefighters Association, hundreds of firefighters may be forced into early retirement because illness, another crushing blow to an already depleted department. Over 340 firefighters lost their lives in the World Trade Center attack.

Health officials do not know the long-term effects of ground zero related lung diseases but say that hundreds more could suffer respiratory illnesses in the near future. To date, over 1,000 firefighters have filed notices protecting their right to sue New York City over inadequate protection from hazardous materials at ground zero.