New York City Subway’s Air Quality Is Toxic For Commuters

The air is worse for Black workers as they face PM2.5 exposure levels at 35% higher than white workers

A recent study has revealed that the air that New York City subway commuters inhale is at levels that are toxic for New Yorkers, specifically Blacks and Latinos.

According to Bloomberg, a report published by PLOS One (a publication that publishes research in areas across science, engineering, medicine, and the related social sciences and humanities) signified high levels of the dangerous fine-particle air pollution known as PM2.5. The report found that it is “exceptionally high” on subway platforms and train cars, based on a new study on New York City’s air quality.

According to the New York State Department of Health, PM2.5 is particle pollution from fine particulates. “Breathing in unhealthy levels of PM2.5 can increase the risk of health problems like heart disease, asthma, and low birth weight. Unhealthy levels can also reduce visibility and cause the air to appear hazy.”

The study concluded that the average concentrations of PM2.5 on subway platforms and train cars were 10 and 7 times higher than the 24-hour guideline set by the World Health Organization.

“The particulate concentration was quite high, a lot higher than one would want to imagine,” said Masoud Ghandehari, a professor in NYU Tandon’s Civil and Urban Engineering Department, who was in charge of the research team.

The research was specific to data on home-to-work commute patterns for 3.1 million workers across four boroughs of New York City (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx). Commuters with longer travel time in the subway were more exposed to PM2.5.

Researchers discovered that rubbing metal wheels and brakes on the subway rails releases metal particles, which, in turn, appear in particular concentrations when the trains roll into a station.

“We noticed that when a train arrives at the station, the concentration in the air shoots up, and about 15-20 seconds after it leaves, the concentration slowly comes down,” said Ghandehari. “This implies that it is the stuff at the bottom of the tunnel that gets churned up and deteriorates the air.”

The study also unveils that minority and low-income communities have the highest exposure to PM2.5. Black workers face PM2.5 exposure levels at 35%, while Hispanic workers are at a level of 23% higher than Asian and white workers.

MTA Communications Director Tim Minton questioned the study and stated: “Every serious person knows transit is the antidote to climate change, the one reason NYC is the greenest city around, and an engine of equity for people of all communities who need an affordable, safe way to get to jobs, schools, and opportunities of every kind.”