Over the past 13 years, New Yorkers have learned to be more environmentally friendly, while saving money. Cause life in a big city is expensive. But you can’t save on health.
New York is not only Manhattan but there are also 4 more districts in the city. 67% of city residents own a car outside of Manhattan. Like in Los Angeles, New York has a lot of traffic. It is terrifying how much unnecessary pollution is released at idle, not to mention gas.
How clean is air and which pollutants inhabit it?
Pollution of the urban environment depends on the location of the area. Areas near parks, residential, industrial areas show different levels of pollutants concentrations; Geography, weather, population, land use, wind, and other natural factors affect air pollution. Today real-time air pollution monitoring systems are available on the sites of major cities!
Clarity Movement – a portal to open data points for measuring air quality around the world. Google more New York’s Program to Track Air Quality, there are plenty available.
The most common air pollutants sources in a city like New York are Industrial fumes, Construction Dust, Open Drains, and Vehicle emissions. Which can also be called Carbon monoxide, ozone, asbestos, lead, mold, radon, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
Ozone is constantly present in the air of New York, in summer its concentration rises. Studies of the effects of ozone on health are built on the warm season, including the New York ozone season from April 1 to September 30.
PM2.5 The effects of annual average concentrations of PM2.5 cause more than 3K premature deaths, about 2K hospitalizations for respiratory and cardiovascular reasons, and 6K emergency visits for asthma in New York every year.
Types of housing and the main problems of NYC residents
Since the 1950s, housing projects have dramatically changed the look of the city. Buildings built from the 1950s to 1978 were built uptight and trapped the pollutants inside.
One major source of pollution in NYC is lead paint, which in some buildings still remains on the walls of such rooms.
Traces of lead dust can also be found in new homes. Dust is dangerous for children – among lead exposure effects are brain damage, central nervous system damage, and kidneys.
A checklist for New Yorkers will differ from a similar one for an Ohio resident.
The first recommendation that any site or organization gives – is air ventilation. What may seem logical for another city may not work for New York!
3 Main Air Quality Checklist Steps
- Drainage Problems. Dirt accumulates quickly and is difficult to remove. It can become a serious problem for the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems in your home, particularly drainage lines. It is important to remove excess moisture from the drain lines. Their cleanliness ensures the uninterrupted operation of the HVAC unit, which is difficult to maintain in such a large city as New York.
Regular checks to ensure that your drain lines remain clean are of utmost importance. - Air filters. Not only can drain lines be blocked by city waste, but your air filters can also become clogged with particles of pollutants.
Combined smoke, exhaust fumes, and dirt are part of New York’s environmental life, and they accumulate in the air filters of your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. As soon as the filters become clogged, the airflow is blocked. Electricity bills are creeping up, and the efficiency of heating and cooling the system is reduced.
If the airflow is reduced, your HVAC unit may freeze, which may lead to its complete shutdown. Frequent inspections of your air filters, as well as their replacement in the event of clogging, ensure that your system will operate throughout the year. This also means fewer pollutants are involved due to better ventilation. - Iced Up Coils. As residents of New York know, winter can be one of the harshest times of the year. And for as hard as it can be on people, the cold weather can take a toll on your HVAC system as well. Because of the nature of HVAC systems, it can be completely normal for a small amount of ice or frost to be present on the coil during the wintertime, but it becomes a serious problem if the ice continues to build up. Your coil may become blocked and prevent your system from properly transferring heat when enough ice is present, which can cause your system to ice up even more. If ignored, ice build-up in your HVAC unit can reach a point where irreparable damage is caused and your unit will need total replacement.
