Nyc Air Quality: How Polluted Is It?

New York City's air quality has improved in recent decades, but air pollution remains a threat to the well-being of New Yorkers. The transportation sector is the dominant contributor to emissions in the city, with cars and trucks being the primary sources of ambient benzene and formaldehyde. The city's size and density also contribute to congestion, with 2.5 million residents driving into Manhattan every day. Despite these challenges, the city and state have worked to lower emissions, and the local government has introduced initiatives to increase reliance on sustainable transit options and reduce congestion.

The transportation sector is the dominant contributor to emissions in NYC

New York City's air quality has improved over the years, but air pollution continues to threaten communities, particularly lower-income neighbourhoods, and raises the risk of heart and lung health complications. Fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, is one of the most harmful pollutants, and long-term exposure to it contributes to an estimated 2,000 excess deaths from lung and heart disease each year in NYC.

The primary sources of ambient benzene in New York City are gas-powered motor vehicles, as benzene is naturally occurring in crude oils used in gasoline. Motor vehicles also produce ambient formaldehyde through the combustion of fuels, and it has been found that formaldehyde can also be formed in the atmosphere when hydrocarbons react in sunlight. While NYC has the lowest per capita vehicle miles travelled of any US city, its size and density cause it to rank among the most congested cities in the nation, with 2.5 million residents driving into Manhattan every day.

Traffic density significantly affects a neighbourhood's air quality, as engines produce PM2.5, black carbon, and NOx. Daily spikes in PM2.5 concentration are commonly seen in the mornings and evenings due to increased traffic volume. Midtown, which has the highest traffic density, usually has the most PM2.5. To improve New York's air quality, the city has been pushing residents to transition to electric and hybrid vehicles by increasing access to public charging stations and improving vehicle economics. NYC aims to achieve 10,000 electric vehicle charging stations by the end of 2021 and 850,000 zero-emission vehicles by 2025.

The city's air quality has improved in recent decades

Despite being the most populous city in the United States, New York City typically enjoys reasonably clean air, and its air quality has improved in recent decades. This improvement is the result of efforts by the city and state of New York to lower emissions from regional and local sources.

The city's sustainability plan, PlaNYC, has seen the completion or launch of several emission reduction initiatives, with more in the pipeline. For example, New York City has pushed a three-pronged approach to encourage the adoption of electric and hybrid vehicles, including community outreach, increasing access to public charging stations, and improving vehicle economics. The city aims to achieve 10,000 electric vehicle charging stations by the end of 2021 and 850,000 zero-emission vehicles by 2025. In 2019, the US Environmental Protection Agency awarded New York City $9.35 million to improve its air safety, with $8 million intended for air pollution control programs targeting stationary and mobile emission sources.

In addition to vehicle emissions, building density also affects a neighbourhood's air quality. Buildings burn fuel and emit pollutants, and their boilers burn oil and gas to produce heat and hot water, which is why air pollution tends to be worse in the winter. However, new heating oil regulations have caused PM2.5 levels to drop dramatically, and SO2 levels are now undetectable.

While the air quality in NYC has improved, it still poses a severe hazard to the health of its residents. Air pollution causes 6% of annual deaths in the city, and pollutants such as ozone and PM2.5 cause about 2,400 deaths per year in NYC and thousands more emergency department visits and hospitalizations for asthma, heart and lung problems.

The most harmful pollutants are fine particles (PM2.5)

PM2.5 is a dangerous and prevalent air pollutant, widely regarded as one of the most harmful to human health. The World Health Organization (WHO) uses a more stringent threshold for PM2.5 levels than the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), recommending levels of less than 10 μg/m3. Since 2017, New York's air quality has consistently met this target, with annual averages of 6.8, 7, and 7 μg/m3 in 2017, 2018, and 2019, respectively.

Despite this, the air pollution levels in New York continue to threaten communities, particularly lower-income neighborhoods, and raise the risk of heart and lung health complications. The sources of PM2.5 pollutants in New York are varied. About 30% comes from distant sources, such as coal-burning power plants in the Midwest, while more than half comes from local sources. Local sources include vehicle emissions, with traffic density and congestion significantly impacting neighborhood air quality. Engines produce PM2.5, black carbon, and NOx, and all vehicles contribute to PM2.5 through tire wear and braking.

Additionally, building density affects air quality as buildings burn fuel and emit pollutants, especially during the winter when boilers are used for heating. Industrial areas, with diesel exhaust from trucks, and major roadways where residual oil is burned, also contribute to higher levels of PM2.5. Certain hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), such as benzene and formaldehyde, are also correlated with higher levels of PM2.5. These HAPs are common in congested areas with busy roadways and are known carcinogens.

To improve air quality and reduce PM2.5 levels, New York City has implemented initiatives such as promoting cleaner transportation options, transitioning to electric and hybrid vehicles, and increasing access to public charging stations.

Communities of colour are disproportionately exposed to emissions from heavy-duty diesel vehicles

New York City's air quality has been improving over the years, but it continues to be a significant issue. The city's air quality index (AQI) is currently moderate, and it meets the National Ambient Air Quality Standard of an annual average under 12 μg/m3. However, the air pollution levels in NYC still threaten communities, especially low-income neighbourhoods and communities of colour, and raise the risk of heart and lung health complications.

The impact of diesel emissions on communities of colour is evident in New York City. Despite having the lowest per capita vehicle miles travelled of any US city, NYC's size and density make it one of the most congested cities in the nation. With 2.5 million residents driving into Manhattan daily, diesel trucks and buses contribute significantly to the city's air pollution. The neighbourhoods located near highways and trucking routes, often low-income communities of colour, bear the brunt of these emissions.

To address this disparity, New York has proposed standards beyond the upcoming federal regulations. Governor Kathy Hochul signed a law requiring all sales of new heavy-duty trucks to reach zero emissions by 2045. This is a crucial step towards reducing air pollution disparities and protecting the health of vulnerable communities. Additionally, New York City has been promoting the use of electric and hybrid vehicles, aiming for 850,000 zero-emission vehicles by 2025.

While these efforts are promising, it's important to recognise that no single policy will solve air pollution disparities. Policymakers must continue to prioritise regulations that specifically target emissions from diesel vehicles to protect communities of colour from disproportionate exposure to harmful pollutants.

Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) increase cancer risk

New York City's air quality has improved in recent decades, but certain air pollutants continue to pose a threat to the health of its residents. Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), including chemicals such as benzene, formaldehyde, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are known carcinogens. These pollutants are common in cities, and exposure to them increases the risk of cancer for residents.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), nearly half of all New York City residents live in areas where exposure to HAPs increases their lifetime cancer risk. The primary sources of these pollutants in New York City are gas-powered motor vehicles, which release benzene, and the combustion of fuels, which produces formaldehyde. While the city's air quality has met the National Ambient Air Quality Standard, there are still health risks associated with the levels of HAPs.

The EPA has been working to reduce emissions of urban air toxics since the passage of the Clean Air Act Amendments in 1990. Regulatory programs have been developed based on hazardous air pollutant emissions and ambient monitoring data to limit emissions from stationary sources. Despite these efforts, the risk of cancer due to HAPs exposure remains a concern, with an average lifetime cancer risk estimate of about 6 in 10,000 according to California's OEHHA, and 1 in 1,000 according to the EPA.

In addition to regulatory efforts, New York City has implemented initiatives to improve air quality and reduce the cancer risk from HAPs. The city has promoted a transition to electric and hybrid vehicles, increased access to public charging stations, and improved vehicle economics. These initiatives aim to reduce emissions from vehicles, a significant source of HAPs in the city. Furthermore, the US EPA report "Our Nation's Air" showed generally declining trends for HAP ambient concentrations from 2003 to 2017, indicating that regulatory and local initiatives may be having a positive impact on reducing HAPs and, consequently, the cancer risk they pose.

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