(5MinNewsBreak.com) – Subway commuters in New York City are subjected to dangerous levels of air pollution, with disparities observed among racial and ethnic groups, according to new research.
Investigators from New York University identified that the concentration of particulate matter (PM2.5) on subway platforms was four times higher than the safety standard for a 24-hour period established by the Environmental Protection Agency and nine times greater than the guideline recommended by the World Health Organization.
The study highlights the significant role of subway travel in the daily accumulation of PM2.5 exposure, despite it constituting only a part of an individual’s day, The Guardian reports.
“At that size, these particles penetrate the lung, and it’s been shown that small particles cause issues with cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurological diseases,” remarked Masoud Ghandehari, the study’s principal investigator and a professor of urban systems engineering at New York University.
“We have 5 million riders per day. Imagine the human impact one may be having in a single day in the New York City subway system,” he added.
The findings also reveal that air pollution impacts are notably more severe among economically disadvantaged individuals and communities of color, both at street level and underground.
Data analysis of census blocks for ethnicity and income showed that lower-income residents and those from predominantly black and Hispanic neighborhoods experience longer and more frequent commutes, leading to increased exposure to harmful air pollutants.
The study quantified this disparity, noting that black and Hispanic commuters are subjected to PM2.5 concentrations that are 35% and 23% higher, respectively, compared to their Asian and white counterparts.
“Most jobs are in financial districts in New York City, [such as] midtown and downtown Manhattan,” Ghandehari explained.
“Those with lower income oftentimes live further away from these job centers. So their commute time ends up being longer, which means their exposure is going to be higher,” he added.
Further, the researchers identified an alarming level of iron in the fine particles analyzed, attributing this primarily to the abrasion from trains’ metal wheels, brakes, and rails. Stations that are older, deeper, and have higher traffic volumes, coupled with inadequate ventilation, exhibited the most elevated levels of PM2.5.
Kabindra Shakya, an assistant professor of geography and the environment at Villanova University who was not part of the study, emphasized the unique challenges of underground air quality management.
“Whatever pollutants that are brought from the outdoor air get trapped and recirculated. Above ground, there is more chance for dispersion, wind speed carrying away and cleaning it, whereas it’s being accumulated [underground] with less ventilation,” he said.
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