New York City air quality map

Live air pollution map of New York City

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Most polluted air quality stations

#stationUS AQI
1 West 141st Street

85

2 Queens

43

3 East 111th Street

42

4 Fordham Manor

36

5 Madison Avenue

36

6 Hell's Kitchen

34

7 Broadway

33

8 Little Haiti

33

9 Neal Phillip - BKLYN - Outdoor

32

10 Bedford-Stuyvesant

31

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Comprehensive summaries and real-time analyses of the air quality, pollution levels, and forecasts for New York City.



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New York City MAP AIR QUALITY ANALYSIS AND STATISTICS

What are some of the readings on the air quality map for New York?

Air quality readings present on the pollution map for New York can be seen above in various locations throughout the city, given in the form of a US AQI reading. This is a number aggregated from the several main pollutants that are typically found in the air throughout the United States and the rest of the world, hence why its use is prevalent in determining the level of air cleanliness, or lack thereof. For users who are either new to using air quality maps for New York or have been using them already, this text accompanying the map is to further the understanding of what the readings mean, as well as further questions in the article delving into what some of the chemicals that make up the US AQI reading are, their causes, as well as some of their potential effects on the people who breathe them, as well as the environment.

US AQI readings in use on the air quality map above are short for the United States air quality index, named so as it adheres to the far more stringent air quality rules and regulations in place in the United States. Other systems in use throughout the world may have more lax measures when it comes to stating which level of pollution is truly unhealthy, and which is less unhealthy. As such the US AQI can be thought of as a gold standard due to being far less lenient in terms of what constitutes a clean, or poor level of air quality on the pollution map. These US AQI readings will constantly be changing, and as such, users should monitor the map at various times throughout the day when possible, as well as over the various months of the year. Far greater insight into the pollution levels in certain parts of New York can be gained from doing so, and even further insight into which times of the day have the worst air pollution present (which, barring natural disasters and other largescale polluting events, typically comes from human and industrial activity, as well as the mass movement of people throughout the city, particularly so for New York due to its large population size and density).

To quote some US AQI readings present on the air pollution map for New York, some salient ones that were recorded in late July of 2022 were readings such as 59, 77 and 81. These all fell into the 'moderate' air quality rating bracket in use on the pollution map, which requires a US AQI reading of anywhere between 51 to 100 to be classified as such. Typically, this is not the greatest pollution level that one could hope for, with the more optimal 'good' air quality reading on the map (requiring a reading of 50 or less, color-coded as green) being far more beneficial, particularly when there are vulnerable members of the population in the area in question. Certain groups of people within New York and indeed within the rest of America fall into these vulnerable demographics and will be discussed in more detail in the following question so that users may see how important monitoring the air quality maps and readings may be for them, as well as their family and friends. Slightly better readings were taken in the eastern side of the city, with a singular reading of 44 being taken, placing that area into the 'good' air quality bracket as mentioned above. The closer the reading is to 0, the more optimal it is for those in the vicinity, although this reading is still acceptable for most of the population. The higher readings mentioned above are still somewhat acceptable, although as the figure edges closer to 100, people may start to experience forms of respiratory distress or irritation. Moderate pollution readings are color-coded as yellow, along with all other ratings having their unique color to make referencing the map much faster. This is also true for the regular city pages (which show the pollution level as an overall average. Whilst this is helpful, and in tandem with the pollution map pages can go a long way in helping users to understand the current pollution levels in New York, the air quality map page benefits users far more significantly due to showing where exactly the pollution is coming from, along with fires also being shown on the map. Consistent viewing of the air quality map for New York can give insight into what times of the day New York is most polluted, which areas have the cleanest air (and the opposite), as well as which months bring with them the highest levels of pollution on the air quality map above. With high readings on the map, there is an accompanying greater level of smoke, haze, smog and hazardous particles in the air, particularly in pollution hotspots that show up on the map. In closing, these are some examples taken midway through 2022, and updated figures can be referenced at any time simply by opening this page and checking the pollution map above.

Which people living in New York can benefit from referencing air pollution maps?

Certain members of society in New York may be more vulnerable to health issues when breathing polluted air. These people are ones such as the elderly, along with young children, babies and pregnant mothers. As such, families can benefit greatly from referencing the air quality map above, to safeguard the health of relatives as well as themselves. Others that may need to take extra care include those with pre-existing health conditions, compromised immune systems, and any individuals who have a hypersensitive disposition towards certain chemical compounds or ultrafine particles. Using an air quality map can help significantly in keeping these more vulnerable groups safe.

What causes the air pollution levels to rise on the air quality maps in New York?

Fires within New York as well as ones taking place in the immediate vicinity (or even further away, depending on wind currents) can cause air pollution levels on the map above to rise significantly. Other causes of air pollution include exhaust fumes from cars, motorbikes and other heavier freight vehicles (which incidentally can also release large amounts of rubber particles into the air over a long-term basis, with residual wear and tear of tire treads causing this phenomenon to occur. Whilst it is not an immediate threat to health, naturally, it can cause widespread damage to the environment as well as enter deep into people’s lungs and cause problems further down the line. In keeping this to a summary, other sources of air pollution that show up on New York’s air quality map stem from industrial activities (power plant emissions, dust from construction sites or repairs), mass transit (particularly evident in traffic hotspots during rush hour times), as well as natural or industrial disasters such as fires, with the former being more of a common cause of elevated air pollution on the air quality map for New York.

What health issues may be prevented by utilizing the air quality maps in New York?

By referencing the air quality map above for higher pollution readings, many health issues can potentially be avoided by steering clear of more polluted areas, if possible. These include main ones such as pulmonary and cardiac diseases and related issues (pertaining to the lungs and heart), along with issues of the skin, such as atopic dermatitis, eczema and other irritating skin conditions. More serious health issues include premature death, cancer, emphysema and other COPD-related ailments, along with potential heart attacks, strokes and similar debilitating or life-threatening illnesses.


New York City air quality data attribution

52Contributors

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