RESEARCH - High Activity Urban Event Impacts Local Air Quality of the Claiborne Corridor in New Orleans, LA

Authors

Evrim Oral, LSU Health Sciences Center - New OrleansFollow
Daniel Harrington, LSU Health Sciences Center - New OrleansFollow
Mohamed S. Mohamed, LSU Health Sciences Center - New OrleansFollow
Mohamed S. Rahman, LSU Health Sciences Center - New OrleansFollow
Saheba Cuccia, Mid Atlantic Regional Air Management Association
Samrat Mukherjee, LSU Health Sciences Center - New OrleansFollow
Amy Stelly, Claiborne Avenue Alliance Design Studio
Barry Keim, LSU Health Sciences Center - New OrleansFollow
Adrienne Katner, LSU Health Sciences Center - New OrleansFollow

Abstract

Background: This paper presents fine particulate matter air pollution measurements in the hours before, during, and after a Port of New Orleans labor strike and a multi-day concert held at the New Orleans Superdome. Both events occurred in areas adjacent to the Claiborne Expressway, an elevated highway extension of Interstate-10 (I-10), which runs through the Claiborne Corridor neighborhood of the City of New Orleans, LA (USA). Methods: Air sensors were located southeast and northwest of the Claiborne Expressway to measure respirable “fine particulate matter” (PM2.5), a traffic-related pollutant associated with cardiovascular and respiratory disease. Ambient PM2.5 concentration measurements were collected continuously using AirBeam3 sensors between September and October of 2024 to evaluate temporal trends and exceedances of health-based guidelines. Results: Mean hourly PM2.5 concentrations declined significantly during the strike (p < 0.001) and increased significantly during the concert (p < 0.01). Average 24-hour PM2.5 concentrations exceeded the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 24-hour PM2.5 guideline (15 μg/m3) after the strike, and during and after the concert. The annual average PM2.5 concentration within one block of the highway (7.5 μg/m3) exceeded WHO’s annual PM2.5 guideline of 5 μg/m3 based on monitoring conducted between September 2024 and September 2025 (n=522,875). Discussion: Without traffic data, we cannot definitively link changes in traffic density to changes in PM2.5. Regardless of the source, PM2.5 levels in the Claiborne Corridor are a potential concern to visitors and residents during high activity urban events, and to residents experiencing chronic exposure. Future studies will investigate air pollution conditions in relation to adverse health outcomes. Conclusions: This study highlights the potential for health impacts associated with fine particulate matter air pollution in the Claiborne Corridor related to both chronic and acute exposures.

Recommended Citation

Oral, Evrim; Harrington, Daniel; Mohamed, Mohamed S.; Rahman, Mohamed S.; Cuccia, Saheba; Mukherjee, Samrat; Stelly, Amy; Keim, Barry; and Katner, Adrienne (2025) "RESEARCH - High Activity Urban Event Impacts Local Air Quality of the Claiborne Corridor in New Orleans, LA," Journal of the Louisiana Public Health Association: Vol. 5: No. 2, Article 9.
Available at: https://digitalscholar.lsuhsc.edu/jlpha/vol5/iss2/9