Air Quality In Nyc: Breathing Easier?

New York City has made significant strides in improving its air quality over the past few decades, but it still faces challenges due to its high population density, vehicle traffic, and industrial emissions. The city has implemented various clean air policies, such as the Clean Bus Program and the Clean Heat Program, which have helped reduce pollution levels. During the COVID-19 lockdown, NYC saw a 23% reduction in PM2.5 pollution, and a five-year improvement plan based on this data estimated numerous health and economic benefits. Despite these improvements, certain air pollutants like ozone and PM2.5 still cause about 2,400 deaths per year in NYC, with a disproportionate impact on communities of color. Building density and truck traffic density also play a role in affecting air quality, and a shift towards all-electric buildings and vehicles could further reduce emissions.

Air quality improvements during the COVID-19 lockdown

New York City has made significant strides in improving its air quality over the past few decades, but it still faces challenges due to its high population density, vehicle traffic, and industrial emissions. The COVID-19 lockdown provided a unique opportunity to assess the impact of reduced human activity on air pollution levels in the city.

During the early months of the pandemic in 2020, New York became the epicenter of the outbreak in the US, and strict lockdown measures were implemented to curb the spread of the virus. This period of reduced mobility and economic activity resulted in a notable improvement in the city's air quality. According to a study, the lockdown led to a 23% reduction in PM2.5 pollution in New York City.

PM2.5, or fine particulate matter, is one of the most harmful pollutants in the air. It is caused by various sources, including vehicle emissions, industrial activities, and residential fuel combustion. Long-term exposure to PM2.5 has been linked to an estimated 2,000 excess deaths from lung and heart disease each year in NYC, with communities of color disproportionately affected.

The lockdown period offered a glimpse of the potential benefits of sustained reductions in pollution levels. Modelling based on the lowered pollution levels during the lockdown estimated that cleaner air could lead to thousands of avoided cases of illness and death, including a decrease in pre-term births, low birth weight, infant mortality, and incidence of childhood asthma. The economic benefits of improved air quality were estimated to range from $31.8 to $77 billion.

While the COVID-19 lockdown provided a temporary respite from air pollution, returning to pre-pandemic levels of economic activity and mobility will likely lead to a resurgence in pollution levels. To achieve long-term improvements, New York City needs to continue implementing and enforcing regulations and policies that target emission sources, such as vehicles, industries, and buildings. This includes promoting cleaner transportation options, transitioning to cleaner energy sources, and addressing building emissions through electrification and more efficient heating systems.

The impact of vehicle emissions

New York City's air quality has improved over the past few decades, with the city and state successfully reducing emissions from regional and local sources. However, two air pollutants, ozone and PM2.5, still cause about 2,400 deaths per year in NYC, with thousands more emergency department visits and hospitalizations for asthma, heart and lung problems. Long-term exposure to PM2.5 alone contributes to an estimated 2,000 excess deaths from lung and heart disease each year in NYC.

The transportation sector, which includes the energy consumption of vehicles like personal cars, subways, rail, aircraft, and ships, is the largest contributor to New York State's CO2 emissions. In 2018, the transportation sector generated 83.3 million metric tons of CO2, or 47% of the state's total emissions. While emissions from road vehicles that use motor gasoline have decreased slightly, there has been an increase in diesel fuel emissions. The increase in diesel fuel emissions is driven by the growing popularity of fuel-intensive vehicles like sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and trucks. SUV ownership in New York City, for example, grew by 21% between 2016 and 2020.

To address the impact of vehicle emissions, New York City has implemented several policies and regulations. Local Law 40, signed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2005, mandates the use of ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel and the best available retrofit technology (BART) for diesel fuel-powered vehicles used in solid waste and recyclable materials contracts. Local Law 41, also signed by Mayor Bloomberg in 2005, requires sightseeing buses to use BART if their engines are over three years old. Additionally, Local Law 145 of 2013 mandates that heavy-duty trade waste hauling vehicles operating in New York City be equipped with EPA-certified 2007 (or later) engines or utilize BART.

New York City is also promoting cleaner transportation options and electric vehicles to reduce emissions. Governor Kathy Hochul has signed legislation mandating that 100% of new passenger cars and trucks sold in New York State be zero-emissions by 2035. The city has also received funding from the US Environmental Protection Agency to improve air safety, with a focus on regulating stationary and mobile emission sources.

While progress has been made, there are still challenges to reducing vehicle emissions in New York City. Aviation-related emissions, for example, have increased significantly due to the rapid growth of passenger aviation. Technological advancements in aviation have not kept pace with those in road vehicle efficiency, including the increasing use of electric cars, trucks, and buses. Additionally, the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on travel and remote work is unknown but is likely to affect personal vehicle use and airline travel for years to come.

The role of building emissions

New York City's air quality has improved over the past few decades, but progress has stagnated in recent years. While the city's air quality is generally good, certain pollutants, such as ozone and PM2.5, continue to cause approximately 2,400 deaths per year in NYC, with vulnerable populations, including older adults, children, and people with pre-existing health conditions, being the most at risk.

To address building emissions, New York City enacted Local Law 97 in 2019 to reduce emissions in large existing buildings. However, the city currently has no plans to stop constructing new buildings that burn fossil fuels. A new effort, led by NYC Council Member Alicka Ampry-Samuel and supported by local organizations, aims to change this by proposing an all-electric new construction mandate for the city.

Additionally, new heating oil regulations have helped reduce PM2.5 levels dramatically, and SO2 levels are now undetectable. The gradual shift towards more electric vehicles and cleaner energy sources will also help drive down emissions and pollution levels in the future.

Building density affects a neighbourhood's air quality, and certain neighbourhoods experience higher levels of pollution due to their proximity to industrial areas and traffic density. Midtown, for example, typically has the highest PM2.5 levels due to its high traffic density. Weather patterns can also trap emissions, causing pollution levels to build up, and daily changes in traffic volume contribute to spikes in PM2.5 concentrations during the morning and evening rush hours.

The Clean Air Taxi legislation

New York City's Clean Air Taxi legislation, introduced in 2006, mandated that a minimum of 9% of new medallions for yellow taxis be reserved for hybrid or compressed natural gas vehicles. This legislation incentivized the purchase of low-emission taxis by extending the allowed period of models classified as "clean air" by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. While the rules do not regulate the city's 100,000 for-hire vehicles like Ubers and Lyfts, they have successfully cut emissions and reduced air pollution.

According to a study by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health, the Clean Air Taxi rules more than doubled the fuel efficiency of the fleet of 13,500 yellow taxis between 2009 and 2015, leading to significant declines in air pollution emissions. The overall fuel efficiency of the medallion taxi fleet increased from 15.7 to 33.1 MPG, resulting in an estimated 82% reduction in nitrous oxide and particulate exhaust emissions. The study also found a 49% decrease in total particulate matter (PMT) emissions.

The impact of the legislation was most noticeable in Manhattan neighbourhoods with a high density of yellow taxis. In these areas, yellow taxis account for almost half of vehicular miles travelled. However, in low-income and outer borough areas with elevated respiratory illness rates, the impact was less significant, suggesting the need for additional policies to address respiratory health concerns.

The health impacts of air pollution

Air pollution is a mix of hazardous substances from both human-made and natural sources. It is a major threat to global health and prosperity and is responsible for more than 6.5 million deaths each year globally. The main pathway of exposure from air pollution is through the respiratory tract. Breathing in these pollutants leads to inflammation, oxidative stress, immunosuppression, and mutagenicity in cells throughout the body, impacting the lungs, heart, and brain, among other organs, and ultimately leading to disease. Almost every organ in the body can be impacted by air pollution.

Some of the most important air pollutants leading to disease include particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and sulfur dioxide (SO2). Fine particulate matter is an especially important source of health risks as these very small particles can penetrate deep into the lungs, enter the bloodstream, and travel to organs, causing systemic damage to tissues and cells. Ozone, an atmospheric gas, is often called smog when at ground level. It is created when pollutants emitted by cars, power plants, industrial boilers, refineries, and other sources chemically react in the presence of sunlight. Ozone gas is a powerful lung irritant. When it is inhaled into the lungs, it reacts with the delicate lining of the small airways, causing inflammation and other damage that can impact multiple body systems.

Health problems in children and adults can occur because of both short- and long-term exposure to air pollutants. The levels and duration of exposure that can be considered 'safe' vary by pollutant and the related disease outcomes. Maternal exposure to air pollution is associated with adverse birth outcomes, such as low birth weight, pre-term birth, and small for gestational age births. A growing body of evidence also suggests that air pollution may affect diabetes and neurological development in children.

In New York City, air pollution remains a challenge, especially in areas with high congestion and traffic, which have 83% higher benzene levels and 45% higher formaldehyde levels than areas with lower traffic congestion. Despite this, the city has demonstrated the ability of regulations and public transportation to create a safe living environment. In 2019, the US Environmental Protection Agency awarded New York City $9.35 million to improve air safety, with approximately $8 million intended for air pollution control programs and the remaining $1 million to expand the city's PM2.5 monitoring network. While air quality in NYC has improved over the past several decades, recent progress has been relatively stagnant. A gradual shift towards more electric vehicles and cleaner energy provides an opportunity to drive emissions and pollution levels down further.

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