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Asthma In Bronx

NPR Reviewed Jun 30, 2026 ✓ Reviewed by citations.press editors
Citation-ready fact
The South Bronx's asthma rate is estimated to be up to eight times the national average.
about 8 · asthma rate
Melissa Block, NPR reporter
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Citation-ready fact
Half of the students at a school near an incinerator suffer from asthma.
50 % · students
principal, school principal
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NPR's Melissa Block reports that the South Bronx has one of the country's highest asthma rates: estimated as high as 8 times the national average. At some public schools, the problem is especially acute; one principal at a school near an incinerator says that half of her students suffer from asthma. Many of these schools are close to the industrial plants that some have accused of exacerbating asthma. But heavy industry is encouraged in this region, and company officials say there's no proof they're part of the problem.

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