The link between high asthma rates in the Bronx and pollution is well documented. A new mapping study by Lehman College's Geographic Information Sciences Program [1] shows just how grave it is. Researchers found that 66 percent of the borough's inhabited area is affected by major sources of pollution. And if you live near one, your chances of being hospitalized for asthma go up 25 percent. If you live near two, you're 34 percent more likely to be hospitalized.

The asthma hospitalization rate for Bronx children is 70 percent higher than that of New York City as a whole. According to recent data published by the New York City Department of Health, the Bronx rates are 700 percent higher than the rest of New York State (excluding New York City).

The major pollution sources in the Bronx include limited access highways and major truck routes, and Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) facilities that must self-report their emissions to the EPA and to the public.