Air Pollution In New York City

Air pollution affects both New York’s environment and people. Emissions from industry, power plants, and vehicles are released into the atmosphere, causing smog, photochemical smog, particulate matter, ground level ozone, and acid rain. Air pollutants lead to respiratory problems in humans, and increase the severity in those who already have respiratory system related illnesses. Acid precipitation damages buildings, cars, trees, and crops, which can cause quite a financial burden – this is especially concerning when it comes to preserving New York City’s many historic buildings. Air pollution also contributes towards global warming which causes a change in the Earth’s climate. Drastic actions need to be put in motion in order for the issue

It began with the Industrial Revolution, where New York City was among the major centers for this movement. The economic boom from this revolution came with its own consequences; the use of coal sky-rocketed. “More than 750,000 coal miners of every race and more than three dozen nationalities were digging and blasting upwards of 550 million tons of coal a year by the 1910s (a volume sufficient to cover the entire island of Manhattan with more than 21 feet of coal)” (Andrews, 2015). Industries like steel mills and textile factories then followed with incorporating the use of coal (Andrews, 2015). This was done both directly and indirectly by steam engines and furnaces or by electricity produced in coal-burning generating stations, respectively (Andrews, 2015). Emissions from these human activities were released into the atmosphere, where they are carried by the wind, affecting an even larger area. The regions nearest a power plant, for example, would be exposed to a heavier dose of pollution than a region farther away from it – the same goes for areas next to a factory or a high trafficked road. The Industrial Revolution also brought about the use of cars for the “common people.” Henry Ford’s Model T made it more affordable for everyone to own a car, therefore spreading pollution even faster and further. Though vehicles have since then evolved, modern-day ones still release pollution

New York City, itself, is the most populous city in the United States and with such a large number of people condensed into such a small area, the pollution is more concentrated. Pollution in the form of smog, photochemical smog, fine particulate matter, and ground level ozone is the outcome from human activity in the region (NYSDEC, 2015). The biggest problem caused by ground level smog and/or ozone is its effects on our lungs. It is especially detrimental when someone already has a respiratory illness, like allergies or asthma, which makes it an even larger struggle to breathe. Heating fuels also contribute greatly towards the area’s air pollution (Kheirbek, 2014). The primary the primary types of fuels used for heating are “liquid fuel oils and natural gas” (Kheirbek, 2014). Burning such fuels releases fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, into the air, which causes adverse health effects like, “increased air way inflammation, reduced lung function, and changes in heart rhythm and blood pressure” (Kheirbek, 2014). These symptoms lead to more hospital visits and even premature death (Kheirbek,