Toxic air in New York subways hurts black and brown people the most

A brand new study finds that toxic air in New York City’s subway system disproportionately harms Black and Latino people.

Scientists from New York University detailed their findings on August 7, Reported by . They found that longer commutes and more train transfers contribute to the biggest suffering amongst black and Latino passengers. According to their data, black passengers remain the most affected, experiencing 35% more air pollution. Latino passengers also face a 23% higher risk, with each groups being higher than their white and Asian counterparts.

Trains contain airborne particles, leaving passengers with no selection but to inhale fumes as they travel. Studies have shown that air quality in the transit system is 15 times higher than the World Health Organization allows.

One of the researchers, Masoud Ghandehari, explained how underground trains absorb toxic pollutants, exposing passengers of color to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

“When a train comes, all the metal on the floor of the tunnel gets knocked over,” Ghandehari said. “Every time the doors open, the concentration in the train increases because the outside environment, the platforms, is more concentrated.”

What about Ghadehari’s solution? An excellent vacuuming of the subway should do the trick.

He shared: “We need to clean up all this dust. It’s all settled at the bottom of the tunnel. That’s why when the train comes (to the station), the concentration of it shoots up into the air. It stirs up everything underneath.”

But not everyone in the city agrees with Ghadehari, a professor of civil and municipal engineering, and his research. In response, New York City MTA Communications Director Tim Minton called the data “debunked.”

“This rehashed ‘study’ based on years-old ‘data’ has long since been debunked,” Minton said in a press release. “Any serious person knows that public transit is the antidote to climate change, the sole reason New York City is the greenest city around, and a lifeline for people in all communities who need an affordable, safe way to get to jobs, schools, and opportunities of all kinds.”