Poor air quality threatens the health of all living things from humans to plants. The Air Quality Index (AQI)
is a measure of how clean or polluted the air is and tracks 5 major pollutants: ground level ozone, carbon monoxide,
sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and airborne particles or aerosols. Benzene and formaldehyde are both volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are also significant in the context of air quality due to their potential health effects. For this project, the levels of these air pollutants were visualized across the 5 boroughs of New York City (NYC) using ParaView and data obtained from NYC Open Data.
2008 NYC Sulfur Dioxide.2015 NYC Sulfur Dioxide.
I hope you enjoy it.
The Different Pollutants in NYC
Air quality refers to the condition of the air within our atmosphere, particularly how safe and clean it is to breathe.
It's determined by the concentration of pollutants in the air, which can be natural or man-made. Key factors affecting
air quality include:
Benzene: This pollutant is primarily found in emissions from burning coal and oil and motor vehicle exhaust. It’s also present in cigarette smoke and industrial emissions. Benzene is known for its carcinogenic properties. Long-term exposure to high levels of benzene in the air can lead to leukemia, particularly acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Short-term exposure to high levels can cause drowsiness, dizziness, unconsciousness, and even death at very high concentration.
Carbon Monoxide (CO): This colorless, odorless gas is harmful when inhaled in large amounts and is emitted mainly from cars and trucks.
Formaldehyde: Formaldehyde is released into the air from various sources, including combustion processes (like automobile exhaust), tobacco smoke, wood burning, and the use of certain building materials and household products. It is also a by-product of industrial processes. Exposure to formaldehyde
can cause irritation of the skin, eyes, nose, and throat, and high levels of exposure may cause some types of cancers. It’s classified as a human carcinogen.
Ground-level Ozone (O3): This is a harmful air pollutant formed when pollutants emitted by cars, power plants, industrial boilers, refineries, chemical plants, and other sources chemically react under sunlight.
Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2): A gas typically produced from burning fuels, including emissions from cars, trucks, buses, power plants, and off-road equipment.
Particulate Matter (PM): These are tiny particles or droplets in the air, often from sources like construction sites, unpaved roads, fields, smokestacks, or fires. Fine particles (known as PM2.5) are especially concerning because they can penetrate deep into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream.
Sulfur Dioxide (O2): Mainly produced from burning fossil fuels by power plants and other industrial facilities.
Below is a table containing the acceptable concentration levels for the above pollutants.
Pollutant Name
EPA Standards
Benzene
1.7 µg/m³ (annual average)
CO
9 ppm (8-hour average), 35 ppm (1-hour average)
Formaldehyde
100 µg/m³ (30-minute average)
NO2
100 ppb (1-hour average), 53 ppb (annual average)
O3
70 ppb (8-hour average)
PM2.5
12 µg/m³ (annual average), 35 µg/m³ (24-hour)
SO2
75 ppb (1-hour average)
The quality of air is crucial for human health, ecosystem vitality, and the overall environment. Poor air quality can
lead to a range of health problems, particularly respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Governments and organizations
worldwide monitor air quality to understand and manage the levels of these pollutants, and this information is often
used to inform the public about the safety of outdoor air.
To read more about air pollutants, please click the links below:
Below are a few ParaView visualizations. The full catalog can be found here.
2005 NYC Formaldehyde.
2005 Staten Island Benzene.
2011 Bronx Formaldehyde.
2011 Brooklyn Benzene.
2020 Bronx PM2.5.
2020 Brooklyn Ozone.
2020 Manhattan Ozone.
2020 Queens Ozone.
Based on the images, here are my findings:
Benzene: The dataset includes benzene data exclusively for the years 2005 and 2011, which is more than a decade old. In 2005, benzene levels in New York City exceeded the legal threshold, with concentrations in Manhattan and the Bronx being at least triple the legal limit. By 2011, there was a
significant reduction in these numbers, yet Manhattan and the Bronx still recorded levels at least double the legal limit. However, given that benzene concentrations are expected to be low, as dictated by the legal limits, this improvement is somewhat underwhelming.
CO: Despite being a critical component of the AQI, this dataset notably lacks data for CO.
Formaldehyde: The dataset provides information on formaldehyde concentrations only for the years 2005 and 2011. During this period, there was a decrease in formaldehyde levels, with 2011 showing a reduction from the 2005 figures. Initially, the levels were already quite low, ranging from approximately 2-6% of the legal limit, and they further dropped to about 1-4% of the legal limit by 2011. Notably, the highest formaldehyde concentrations are observed in Manhattan, with the Bronx following closely behind.
NO2: The dataset includes data on NO2 from 2008 to 2020, showing a marked reduction in annual average concentrations over these years. The legal limit for NO2 is 53 ppb. In 2008, the annual average levels of NO2 in New York City spanned a wide range, from 20 to 50 ppb, nearly reaching the legal threshold. However, by 2020, there was a significant contraction in this range, with levels ranging only from 6 to 37 ppb. Interestingly, the Bronx recorded both the lowest and highest NO2 levels, positioning it at both extremes of the spectrum. Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan had NO2 levels that fell in between these two extremes.
O3: The dataset includes ozone measurements from 2009 to 2020. In 2009, ozone levels varied across New York City’s five boroughs, ranging from 14 to 34 ppb. By 2020, this range had become narrower, spanning from 26 to 33 ppb. Notably, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx experienced an increase in ozone concentrations over this period. In contrast, Staten Island and Queens saw relatively stable ozone levels. Despite these changes, it’s important to note that the ozone levels in 2020 remained well below half of the established legal limit.
PM2.5: From 2008 to 2020, there has been a substantial decrease in PM2.5 levels throughout New York City. Notably, Manhattan and the Bronx have seen remarkable improvements, with PM2.5 concentrations dropping from half to one-third of the permissible limit.
SO2: The dataset encompasses the years 2008 to 2015, during which there has been minimal variation in SO2 levels across New York City. The highest concentrations of SO2 have been recorded in the Bronx and Manhattan, while significantly lower levels have been observed in Staten Island and Brooklyn. Notably, there is a marked escalation in SO2 concentrations when moving from Staten Island and Brooklyn, through Queens, and towards Manhattan and the Bronx. It’s important to highlight that both Manhattan and the Bronx are nearing half of the allowable limit for SO2 concentrations.
Codes
The original dataset can be found here. The data cleaning codes can be found below and in the main GitHub repository. The GeoJSON files used to generate each image can be found here. Please read the instructions carefully because manual labor is involved.
If you have any inquiries, please fill out and submit the form below.
