New York City subway riders are breathing in hazardous air, study finds

New York City subway riders are breathing in hazardous air, with Black and Hispanic commuters exposed to higher levels of pollution, a new study shows.

New York University researchers found that the average subway platform had four times the particulate pollution (PM2.5) exposure standard deemed safe over a 24-hour period by the Environmental Protection Agency, and nine times the exposure guideline set by the World Health Organization.

The burden of air pollution disproportionately falls on low-income people and communities of color, both above ground and below. By looking at census block data for ethnicity and income, researchers found that low-income New Yorkers and people living in majority Black and Hispanic communities have longer, more frequent commutes. That, in turn, leads to higher exposure to dangerous air pollutants. The study found that Black and Hispanic workers endure PM2.5 levels that are 35% and 23% higher, respectively, than Asian and white commuters.