The goals of this study were to assess the air quality in subway systems in the northeastern United States and estimate the health risks for transit workers and commuters. METHODS: We report real-time and gravimetric PM 2:5 concentrations and particle composition from area samples collected in the subways of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Boston, Massachusetts; New York City, New York/New Jersey (NYC/NJ); and Washington, District of Columbia. A total of 71 stations across 12 transit lines were monitored during morning and evening rush hours. RESULTS: We observed variable and high PM 2:5 concentrations for on-train and on-platform measurements during morning (from 0600 hours to 1000 hours) and evening (from 1500 hours to 1900 hours) rush hour across cities.
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