New York City’s Department of Health released a study on air pollution in the summer and, if you’ve been breathing recently, you may already be familiar with some of the results. “The take-home message here is that the air quality just isn’t great anywhere in New York City,” Deputy Health Commissioner Daniel Kass tells the Post. “What’s surprising is just how variable the air quality is across the city.” Particulate matter, a combination of pollen, dust, and other materials that can lead to things like asthma, heart disease, lung cancer, and early death, is prevalent in areas with higher congestion, bigger crowds, and taller buildings. Midtown, lower Manhattan, and freeway-adjacent neighborhoods in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens were hardest hit. But even neighborhoods removed from the bustle and grind weren’t immune. Ground-level ozone, which occurs when pollutants react to sunlight, was found downwind of busier neighborhoods, with high concentrations in the Rockaways and southern Staten Island.
Choke’s on us [NYP]
