Toxic NYC subway air puts Black, Hispanic riders at higher health risk, NYU study finds

Toxic subway air disproportionately harms low-income commuters, especially Black and Hispanic riders, due to longer commutes and more station transfers, as stated by researchers at New York University on Wednesday.

Recent research highlights the elevated health risks faced by millions of subway riders. Tiny particles suspended in subway air, known as particulate matter, can enter the lungs and bloodstream, causing respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, researchers said.

“Believe it or not, I hold my breath before I come out of the station because I know that’s when the concentrations are up,” Masoud Ghandehari, a professor of civil and urban engineering, said in an interview on Wednesday.

Ghandehari helped author the new paper, which found that the air quality in New York’s subway system exceeds the World Health Organization's exposure guidelines by up to 15 times.

He said the research found that longer commutes with more transfers and time spent waiting on platforms led to higher exposure to polluted air. Black and Hispanic riders experienced 35% and 23% more polluted air, respectively, compared to Asian and white commuters, Ghandehari said.

“When the train comes by, all the metal in the bottom of the tunnel gets turned up,” he said. “Every time the door opens, concentrations in the train go up because the outdoor environment, the platforms, are higher in concentration.”

The paper showed the stations with the highest levels of particulate matter are 168th Street and 181st Street on the 1 train, Bowling Green’s 5 line, the Broadway-Lafayette B station and the High Street train.

Ghandehari’s team developed an online map so straphangers can plot their typical commute and approximate their particulate exposure.

For example, an hour-long commute from the Bronx to Lower Manhattan exposes commuters to 93 micrograms per cubic meter of particulate matter, whereas a 30-minute commute from Fort Greene to Lower Manhattan exposes riders to roughly half that amount.

According to Ghandehari, part of the problem is the accumulated dust at the bottom of the tunnels.

“All that dust needs to be cleaned up,” he said. “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.”

MTA Communications Director Tim Minton disputed the findings.

"This recycled 'study' based on years-old 'data' has long since been debunked," 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."

Due to airborne iron particles from train wheels braking on the rails, New York’s train stations are among the most polluted, with platforms near the rivers being particularly affected

Ghandehari recommended wearing N95 masks while commuting, as long as they are permitted. Earlier this summer, Gov. Kathy Hochul said she is considering banning masks in the subway system when not used for health or religious reasons.

This story has been updated with comment from MTA Communications Director Tim Minton.