Excess loss of FEV1 in firefighters exposed to world trade centre dust after one year

A longitudinal study of firefighter showed that one year after exposurre to world trade centre dust which was alkaline from cement their FEV1 fell a mean 372 ml compared with 31 ml/year in the previous 5 years. Surprisingly few wore respiratory protection.
Why were the changes so large? The ash from Mount St Helens probably resulted in little measurable changes in FEV1; is the alkalinity or acidity of the dust important? (Buist AS, Johnson LR, Vollmer WM, Sexton GJ, Kanarek PH. Acute effects of volcanic ash from Mount Saint Helens on lung function in children. American Review of Respiratory Disease 1983;127:714-9).
Does this have anything to say about workers exposed to cement dust during manufacture?

References

	Banauch GI, Hall C, Weiden M, Cohen HW, Aldrich TK, Christodoulou V, Arcentales N, Kelly KJ, Prezant DJ, Pulmonary Function after Exposure to the World Trade Center Collapse in the New York City Fire Department, Am J Respir Crit Care Med, 2006;174:312-319,

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