3 Forest Hills Schools Highly Exposed To Pollution, Study Finds

FOREST HILLS, QUEENS — Three schools in Forest Hills could be exposing children to dangerously high levels of pollution, a new report has found.

P.S. 206 Horace Harding, P.S. 220 Edward Mandel and P.S. 196 Grand Central Parkway are all within 500 feet of major roads, according to a Localize.city data analysis, which is where the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says vehicle pollution levels are highest.

There are 244 public schools across the city that are close enough to heavily-trafficked roads to potentially expose students and educators to those pollutants, Localize.city found.

Students who attend school near major roads appear to have higher rates of asthma and cardiovascular disease and are likelier to have impaired lung development and childhood leukemia, according to the EPA.

"Kids attend city schools 180 days a year, often running around at recess every day, breathing in the air — and potentially toxic fine particulate matter," Localize.city urban planner Liat Halpern said in a statement.

"We think it’s important for parents to have this kind of information when they’re making decisions about where to live because often their choices are linked to nearby schools."