NYC air quality has significantly deteriorated, marking a historic low for the city. Unsurprisingly, it’s not only streets where the air quality is suffering, but the NYC subway system is also not immune.
In fact, recent reports indicate that the underground transportation network may be worse off than street level environments, according to research from NYU.
Smoke from Canadian Wildfires Diminishes NYC Air Quality
On Wednesday, the NYC air quality dropped dramatically, indicating that the air wasn’t just substandard but alarmingly hazardous.
This is largely attributed to the smoke from major wildfires in Canada, primarily in Quebec, carried over by wind.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been closely tracking this airborne threat, focusing on the tiny particles that pose significant health risks.
To understand the severity, sensors across the city detected levels of particles that were 2.5 microns in diameter or smaller.
According to the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation, Wednesday’s levels were the highest ever recorded in NYC since records began in 1999.
