Tailpipe emissions from cars, trucks, and buses are a leading source of harmful air pollution in New York State. This pollution has a significant impact on the health of the region’s residents, and varies greatly geographically and across different types of communities in the Empire State. An analysis from the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) quantifies the formation of particulate matter air pollution from on-road vehicles in New York State. It also identifies the locations and populations burdened with the highest exposure to these transportation emissions. Research links exposure to particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM2.5)—20 times smaller than even fine human hair—to increased illness and death, primarily from heart and lung diseases. The UCS analysis finds that Asian American, Latino, and African American New Yorkers, as well as people of other races, are exposed to higher levels of PM2.5 pollution from cars, trucks, and buses than are white New Yorkers.
