NEW YORK, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Working among the dust and debris at the World Trade Center site has serious damage to workers' lungs and can lead to deadly disease, said a new study released on Tuesday.

    The study conducted by the New York Fire Department and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine found that 15 firefighters and rescue workers working at the site were diagnosed with Sarcoidosisin the year after the collapse, compared to an average of two to four cases per year in the 15 years before Sept. 11 terror attacks.

    Sarcoidosis is a disease where lungs and other organs become inflamed. The disease can be treated, but in some cases it can be deadly.

    This is the first study to clearly link working in the World Trade Center debris to serious illness. All other studies have only cited coughing and breathing problems associated with working at the site.