Air Pollution in New York City Jack Lebeau
Air Pollution in New York City Jack Lebeau MD E Global Solutions – Anthony Straggi January 2005
Air Pollution in New York State is concentrated in the area of NYC
CARCINOGENS LISTED IN NRDC'S ANALYSIS Air Toxics (Carcinogens) EPA Benchmark Concentrations(µg/m 3) Acetaldehyde 0. 45 Benzene 0. 12 Acrylamide 0. 00077 Beryllium 0. 00042 Acrylonitrile 0. 015 Ethylene dichloride 0. 038 Arsenic 0. 00023 Hydrazine 0. 0002 Bis(2 -ethylhexyl) phthalate 0. 25 Formaldehyde 0. 077 1, 3 -Butadiene 0. 0036 Lead 0. 013 Cadmium 0. 00056 Methyl chloride 0. 56 Carbon tetrachloride 0. 067 Methylene chloride 2. 1 Chloroform 0. 043 Nickel 0. 0042 Chromium 0. 000083 Propylene dichloride 0. 053 1, 3 -Dichloropropene 0. 027 Quinoline 0. 00029 Ethyl acrylate 0. 073 1, 1, 2, 2 -Tetrachloroethane 0. 017 Ethylene dibromide 0. 0045 1, 1, 2 -Trichloroethane 0. 063 Ethylene oxide 0. 0043 Vinyl chloride 0. 012 Tetrachloroethylene 1. 7 Vinylidene chloride 0. 02 Trichloroethylene 0. 59
HIGHEST RISK COUNTIES IN THE STATE COUNTY RISK New York Kings Bronx 421 320 318 Queens Richmond Westchester 281 195 150
RISK FACTOR AND SOURCE OF TOXIC AIR POLLUTANTS OF CONCERN IN NEW YORK COUNTY, NY Air Toxic Risk Source Percentage 1, 3 Butadiene 176 Mobile 70% Formaldehyde 64 Mobile Area 55% 42% Benzene 53 Mobile 70% Chromium 43 Area Mobile 47% 31% Nickel 20 Area 68% Carbon Tetrachloride 13 Area 100% Mobile Sources: Cars, trucks, buses, tractors, etc. Point Sources: Large factories and other major industrial sources Area Sources: Small factories, dry cleaners, gas stations, etc.
KEY *The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency has developed benchmarks for "safe" concentrations of toxics in air, levels at which one person in one million is at risk of developing cancer. Key represents the risk factor for a combination of 31 toxics as a multiple of EPA's safe level (e. g. darkest shade indicates levels more than 400 times EPA's safe concentrations). See the chart on the next slide for a list of the 31 toxics.
Air Pollution in NYC Diesel engines* Gasoline Engines New Jersey Industry Port of New York Airports Helicopters Smoking Dry cleaning Chemical industries * These include stationary engines like generators and pumps , and off-road as well as on-road engines.
Everyone in the NY metropolitan area breathes air that fails to meet EPA health standards, and many New Yorkers suffer serious health impacts from breathing that dirty air. • One million people in New York City, including 300, 000 children, have been diagnosed with asthma. • Air pollution from mobile sources, like construction equipment, contributes to over 90% of the air cancer risk in New York County. • Nearly 1 in 4 children in east Harlem suffer from asthma; the worst rate in the country. • The costs of asthma hospitalization in New York City totaled more than $242 million in 2000.
Asthma Hospitalization rates by ZIP Code in NYC for Children Aged 0 -14 in the year 2000
• In a study of newborns and their mothers in New York City, scientists found that developing babies had accumulated a relatively high number of genetic mutations, and they linked the mutations to emissions from vehicles and other sources of urban pollution. Perera, F. P. et al. Biomarkers in maternal and newborn blood indicate heightened fetal susceptibility to procarcinogenic DNA damage. Environmental Health Perspectives Vol. 112, pp. 1133 -1136 (July 2004).
In 1999, nonroad diesel engines, like construction equipment, in the New York metropolitan area emitted more tons of particulate matter than nonroad vehicles than in any other major U. S. city. v�� Using clean fuel, ultra low sulfur diesel fuel (15 ppm), and tailpipe retrofits can cut pollution from construction vehicles at City construction sites up to 90%. v�� The technology needed to cut pollution from construction vehicles is increasingly easy to use and, as the market grows, will become even more cost-effective than it already is today. v�� Retrofit costs are very low - a few thousand dollars compared to the acquisition cost of a piece of construction machinery, which can easily be in the six digits.
Local Law 77 • Local Law 77 is an effective plan to improve air quality in New York City and will have many favorable effects on asthma, heart attack, stroke, sudden death, cancer in children and adults. • It will prevent lost work time and the economic damage that results. • Costs from air pollution related illness and hospitalization will be cut dramatically.
Think about other sources of air pollution! Similarly, Staten Islanders are exposed to air pollutants emitted from nearby Newark Airport and many northeastern New Jersey industries. Helicopters in New York City are also a persistent source of air pollution, as emissions from helicopters are essentially unregulated. League of Conservation Voters
A Future We Can Make Real A comprehensive plan to clean the air is needed. It must look at the Port of New York, roads, airports, helicopters and even dry cleaners and other users of chemical toxins. Real courage and conviction has curtailed smoking in public places in NYC. The City’s air can be cleaned. With clear thinking and planning it will be affordable and save far more than it will cost.
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