Air Quality in NYC
Air quality and pollution are major factors that affect health of a person living in urban areas. Air pollution poses a large health risk to those living in urban areas like NYC, they have increased chances for conditions such as heart disease, lung cancer, and asthma. The city recently estimated that up to 2,700 premature deaths a year could be attributed to fine particulate matter and ozone in the air. With the PlaNYC initiative the city is aiming to have the cleanest air of any major city by 2030. The NYC Community Air survey in 2014 measured the amount of particulate matter PM 2.5 in the air. PM 2.5 is produced by vehicle exhaust, fuel combustion, and power plants. These particles can travel into the repertory tract and cause health issues. The EPA’s acceptable limit of PM 2.5 is 12 micrograms per cubic meter of air.
PM 2.5 Levels in NYC neighborhoods
- Midtown- 14.2 PM 2.5
- Clinton and Chelsea- 11.6 PM 2.5
- Turtle Bay- 12.4 PM 2.5
- Greenwich Village and Soho- 11.2 PM 2.5
- Upper East Side- 11.2 PM 2.5
- Upper West Side- 10.4
How the City Plans to Improve Air Quality
New York City’s environmental protection department has a list of regulations and rules to protect air quality including regulations for boilers and water heaters, dry cleaning regulations, and rules for generators. The rules and regulations are in place to ensure that air is not being unnecessarily polluted. Another major factor in NYC’s air quality is emissions from buildings, construction, and transportation. NYC is working to make new construction more sustainable and renovating old buildings. Residents of NYC are urged to use public transport to reduce exhaust emissions.
http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2016/06/06/air-quality-pollution-new-york-city/ http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/air/index.shtm
Sustainability in New York City - A Revolution 