A new study has revealed that toxic subway air in New York City is disproportionately harming Black and Hispanic subway riders.
New York University researchers detailed their findings on Aug. 7, as reported by Gothamist. They found that longer commute times and more train transfers contribute to Black and Hispanic riders suffering the most. Black riders remain the most severely impacted, experiencing 35% more polluted air and Hispanic face 23% more polluted air compared to white and Asian passengers.
The trains hold particles of polluted air, leaving riders no choice but to breath the fumes in during their trips. According to the research, the air quality in the transit system is 15 times more potent than allowed by the World Health Organization.
One of the researchers, Masoud Ghandehari, explained how the underground trains trap toxic pollutants, leaving riders of color vulnerable to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
“When the
train comes by, all the metal in the bottom of the tunnel gets turned up,” Ghandehari said. “Every time the door opens, concentrations in the train go up because the outdoor environment, the platforms, are higher in concentration.”As for Ghadehari’s solution? A substantial dusting of the subways should do the trick.
“All that dust needs to be cleaned up. It’s all settled in the bottom of the tunnel. So that’s why when a train comes up [to a station], the concentrations shoot up in the air. It churns up everything that’s under.”
However, not all in the city are celebrating Ghadehari, a professor of civil and urban engineering, and his research.
“This recycled ‘study’ based on years-old ‘data’ has long since been debunked,” Metropolitan Transportation Authority Communications Director Tim Minton said in a statement. “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.”
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