CDC 24/7 - Saving Lives - New York City's Success

Guiding policy on pesticide use

What is the problem?

Every year the media reports on fires and explosions triggered by indoor pesticide foggers, also known as "bug bombs." Yet little information is available about the type and number of bug bomb-related injuries and health effects.

What did Tracking do?

The NYC Tracking Program studied short-term bug bomb related health effects and injuries. After reviewing available national and local data, the NYC tracking program and partners published the results. The report included many kinds of bug bomb injuries and illnesses: severe irritation of the eyes and throat, nausea, and shortness of breath. In NYC, people using bug bombs in large, multi-unit apartment buildings without telling their neighbors caused many of these events.

NYC Tracking Program studies showed that people living in low-income neighborhoods are more likely to use bug bombs and sprays rather than safer choices like bait stations or gels.

Improved public health

This information led the Health Department, in conjunction with the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation, to pursue restricting bug bombs to the public. In New York, these devices would only be available for purchase and use by licensed pest control professionals. NYC has also encouraged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to restrict nationwide the use of total-release foggers.

Informing local laws to reduce health problems caused by air pollution

What is the problem?

Some older heating systems in New York City (NYC) burn low-grade oil called residual oil (also called fuel oil). Burning residual oil releases much more harmful small particles called particulate matter (PM_2.5) into the air than other heating fuels. Exposure to PM_2.5 can cause serious illnesses and deaths, especially from lung and heart diseases.

What did Tracking do?

NYC's Tracking Program studied PM_2.5 pollution and found that the highest levels were in parts of the city with the highest number of residual oil-burning boilers. The tracking program used methods developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to estimate the effects of PM_2.5 exposure on the numbers of deaths, hospital stays, and emergency department visits in NYC. The tracking program showed that many hospital visits and deaths could be prevented by reducing the PM_2.5 levels by phasing out residual heating-oil use in the city.

Improved public health

NYC leaders used the tracking program's findings to support a local law that was enacted in 2010 and new regulations that were finalized in 2011 to begin reducing and ultimately phase out the use of residual oil in NYC by the year 2030. The tracking program estimated that, when fully implemented, this law will prevent about 200 deaths caused by PM_2.5 exposure in NYC each year.

Supporting prevention of carbon monoxide poisonings

What is the problem?

Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is a serious but preventable environmental health threat. In 2004, New York City (NYC) enacted the Carbon Monoxide Alarm Law requiring building owners to provide CO alarms in all residential and many public buildings. CO alarms, like smoke alarms, have a short lifespan of a few years and need to be replaced when they expire. In November 2011, the Mayor's Office and NY City Council proposed an amendment to the local law to address this issue and requested data related to CO poisoning from the NYC Health Department.

What did Tracking do?

NYC's Tracking Program provided a report to the Mayor's office detailing the CO poisoning and incident information from the NYC Tracking Network. The report showed that shortly after the 2004 law went into effect, the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) investigated five times more CO hazards than before because more of the residents had CO alarms to detect the hazards. The report included a neighborhood map showing the reported CO hazards that FDNY investigated; more CO hazards occurred in low-income areas than in other areas. The report also included a graph showing that when residents more frequently reported using back-up heat sources, such as kitchen stoves, overnight there were higher rates of CO incidents in the neighborhood.

Improved public health

The City Council passed the amendment to the NYC Carbon Monoxide Alarm Law in December 2011. The law continues to require that all new CO alarms comply with UL 2034, the Standard for Safety of Single and Multiple Station Carbon Monoxide Alarms, which requires audible alerts when the alarm expires. Under the amendment, building owners and home owners are responsible for quickly replacing expired CO alarms.