Abstract
New York City has had a long history of implementing local policies to reduce air pollution. Enacted as a part of PlaNYC, the Clean Heat policies aim to lower wintertime ambient air pollution by phasing out dirty No. 6 heating fuel oil and transitioning to comparatively cleaner No. 4, No. 2, or natural gas. This study evaluates the impacts of policies on ambient air pollution and, given that people spend the majority of their time inside, importantly, indoor air pollution. Using a natural experiment, we evaluate the effects of the policies by measuring average two-week levels of indoor and outdoor black carbon (BC) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in 48 upper Manhattan apartments in successive winter heating seasons before and after mandated fuel transition. We failed to observe systematic improvements in indoor BC and PM2.5 concentrations in follow-up. However, outdoor levels of PM2.5 did improve, with statistical differences observed among buildings converting to the cleanest fuels. Non-statistical improvements were observed for outdoor BC. However, when accounting for meteorological differences, apartment characteristics, and behavioral patterns that may have influenced air pollution measurements, these differences were not significant. The study results have important policy and equity implications considering the differential improvements in air quality by conversion to No. 4 oil as compared to the cleaner No. 2 oil and natural gas.
Highlights
Exposure to air pollution remains one of the most significant global health risks today [1]; in 2015 exposure to air pollution was the sixth leading risk factor for deaths in the United States, accounting for an estimated 88,400 deaths (3% of all deaths) and 1.49 million disabilityadjusted life years [2]
We evaluated indoor and outdoor air pollution in 48 northern Manhattan apartments in two successive winters, before and after building conversion to cleaner heating fuels in compliance with New York City’s Clean Heat policies
Observed PM2.5 and black carbon (BC) were comparable to data reported by the New York City Community Air Survey (NYCCAS) over the same time-periods [33,34]
Summary
Exposure to air pollution remains one of the most significant global health risks today [1]; in 2015 exposure to air pollution was the sixth leading risk factor for deaths in the United States, accounting for an estimated 88,400 deaths (3% of all deaths) and 1.49 million disabilityadjusted life years [2].
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