Despite several reforms, the air quality in Toronto’s metro system is still lower than international standards, according to a study by a team of chemical engineering students at the University of Toronto.
Professor Greg Evans said, “We have been interested in metro air quality for more than a decade.” “On line 2, the air quality remains about the same, and it is not much better than many metro systems around the world,” he said.
As part of the study, six students rode a full length of line 2, spending two hours about the air -collecting journey.
They found a mixture of particles in the air, which included trace metals such as copper, chromium and zinc.
While there is no official limit for health effects, health canada recommends that the level of particle matter in the indoor environment is kept as low as possible.
Platforms see high levels of poisoning
Filming systems on TTC trains help reduce slight risk, but researchers say the situation is poor on platforms.
One of the researchers of the study, Isaac Lo said, “Polluting concentrations on platforms are about two to three times higher than trains.”
The study sample size was small, and researchers say that they did not find any immediate cause of concern for the average computer.
This can be an issue for those who spend longer time on the metro.
“If someone is insecure, they should consider wearing a mask,” said a pulmonary work technicist Joyce Wu.
For TTC employees, anxiety is more because they are exposed to particulate for long periods.
“We know that everyone has a responsibility to ensure a safe environment for workers and riders,” said the Union, representing the TTC workers, the President of the Maravin Alfred, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113. “In the past, we have realized that some of those concerns were not fully addressed,”
In a statement, TTC said that security is its top priority.
“Many tests and studies have shown that air quality is safe and improvement,” TTC said. “The air quality in the Toronto Metro system is comparable to other systems in North America,”
TTC has received approval to purchase new trains for Line 2. Evans says that the new braking system on Line 1 has helped reduce air pollutants, and they hope that the same improvements are coming in Line 2.