Metra will clean up its act

Chicago-area Metra (IL) expects to improve the air quality inside its commuter rail cars by switching to more efficient air filters. After a Chicago Tribune investigation found that commuters were exposed to high levels of soot inside the rail cars, the agency studied a series of options for reducing exposure to the fumes. Soot levels were found to average about 67 micrograms per cubic meter in the first car behind the locomotive, but dropped to about 16 micrograms per cubic meter with filtration in place. Metra will spend $200,000 a year to install the filters in all its cars over the next 90 days. While the cars will be healthier, the filters won’t address the high soot levels on the platforms at Chicago’s downtown rail terminals. Link to full story in Chicago Tribune.

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