Thank God for Central Park, because everywhere else in the city is pretty damn polluted. According to a new study from MIT Senseable City Lab, most New Yorkers are breathing toxic air.
If you thought the air in your office was bad, you won’t believe how bad it is in your neighborhood. The MIT team used cellphone data to determine the air-quality conditions and exposure hazards of different areas of the city. They found that those who live and work in Manhattan are exposed to more toxic pollution than residents who commute into the city from the outer boroughs, according to Metro.
“Exposure indices are vastly different during the day and night in New York City. This is due to the people moving in and out of the urban center for work and other activities,” the study reports.
The study found that the highest concentrations of dangerous PM2.5 particles in NYC are in Manhattan and areas directly across the East River in Brooklyn and Queens It also found that most of the Bronx has high levels of PM2.5.
“PM2.5 is a fine particulate matter of diameter less than 2.5 micrometers. These tiny dust particles, when inhaled, lead to numerous health conditions including early death, and heart and lung related illnesses,” they study said. [Metro] –Christopher Cameron