NEW YORK – As high temperatures and humid conditions increase, local environmental groups in the South Bronx say their communities are bearing the brunt due to factors such as air pollution.
At the intersection between the Willis Avenue Bridge exit and Bruckner Boulevard in Mott Haven, you see one thing constantly: traffic.
“When you have an incremental increase in traffic, it has an exponential impact on health, especially in communities like ours that already have high respiratory rates,” said Mychal Johnson, co-founder of South Bronx Unite.
In December, CBS New York looked at the local organization South Bronx Unite Install air quality monitor boxes in different parts of the Bronx to tell the story of the impact this traffic has on the health of their community.
“Our community is considered ‘Asthma Alley,’ and the hospitalization rate for asthma is eight times higher than other parts of the city,” Johnson said.
Real-time data shows the impact of pollution on air quality in the Bronx, the group says
Leslie Vasquez, organizer of the Clean Air Project, says there are several factors that are exacerbating the heat in this community due to the hot, muggy and humid days of the past week.
“The South Bronx is an urban heat island. When there is more traffic, there is more pollution and it is warmer, which leads to more asthma attacks and more coughs,” Vasquez said.
That’s why they say having real-time data to prove it is most important.
“Typically on a normal pollution day or at a normal time we have particulate matter levels ranging from 6 to 4 to 5, and then there are spikes at certain times and specific days that go as high as 60,” Vasquez described.
Vasquez says higher particulate matter counts likely indicate a direct source of pollution very close to the monitor, such as idling trucks or heavy traffic.
“It’s extremely unhealthy for the community that comes through and breathes this in,” Vasquez said.
Currently, about 30 air quality monitors have been installed in the district. About 30 more need to be installed.
The community hopes that the data they collect will help create change for the well-being and health of Bronx residents.
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