Warehouses supporting online retail pollute the air of nearby neighborhoods, researchers say Traffic to and from the warehouses causes an average 20% increase in carbon dioxide levels Switching to electric vehicles could lower this air pollution WEDNESDAY, July 24, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Online retail giants like Amazon have made it easier for people to buy what they want when they want it, but that convenience comes at a cost to people’s health, a new study says. Huge warehouses that support online shopping increase air pollution in the neighborhoods where they’re located, increasing residents’ risk of attacks and other life-threatening health conditions, researchers found. Specifically, delivery vehicles and trucks increase the amount of nitrogen dioxide in the air near warehouses by an average of 20%, results show.
“Increased truck traffic to and from these recently built large warehouses means people living downwind are inhaling an increased amount of harmful nitrogen dioxide pollution,” said lead researcher , an assistant research professor of environmental and occupational health at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health in Washington, D.C. “Communities of color are disproportionately affected because they often live in close proximity to warehouses, especially dense clusters of warehouses,” Kerr added in a university news release.
Breathing air heavily laced with nitrogen dioxide irritates the respiratory system, accor.