The air in subway stations is bad for you, study finds

An NYU Tandon study led by Professor Masoud Ghandehari – with support from C2SMARTER, a Tier 1 U.S. Department of Transportation-funded University Transportation Center – found potentially unhealthy air quality in NYC subway stations due to iron particles from brake and track friction. Lead researcher Shams Azad revealed that the most polluted stations at 168th and 181st Street on the No. 1 line had levels between 550-600 units, compared to WHO's limit of 15. The study, measuring air quality at most of NYC's 472 stations, found that poor air quality disproportionately affects lower-income Hispanic and Black riders with longer commutes.