For my art project, I chose to do a painting of the effect of climate change on marine life. It depicts the effects of global warming causes the ice bergs to be in grave danger. It causes the sea levels to rise and the ice bergs to melt. In addition, it is damaging the coral due to coral bleaching. The animals living in the water are also impacted. It impacts the whole food chain. Animals are dying off due to the lack of food sources and the change in water temperature.
Right now, there are no studies to see if there is a safe level of consumption of PFAS. However, New York State has proposed a new regulation for PFAS in drinking water which would establish the maximum contaminant levels at 10ppt (parts per trillion). As of 2021, areas such as the Water Authority of Western Nassau County and Garden City Park Water District have a contaminant level of 68.7ppt and 57.5ppt respectively. This is well beyond the recommended maximum contaminant levels.
Not many people knew about this growing concern. I have surveyed 50 residents of Long Island and a growing number of them had no idea that their water could be contaminated. About 80% of residents that I have surveyed responded with a resounding “No, I didn’t know this was happen to my water.”
15% of the residents surveyed had some knowledge on the issue and 5% of the residents surveyed responded with “Yes, I know this was happening.”
One resident that responded “Yes” mention they started to rely on bottle water for their drinking water but still use their tap water for cooking. Their initial reaction when hearing this was “shocked” since the water didn’t taste any different. If they didn’t watch the news, they would have never heard about the water issue.
This resident lives in Huntington where their contaminate levels aren’t as high as other counties in Long Island.
Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE) formed in 1985 by a small group of concerned residents of Long Island. Today, CCE has grown beyond the Long Island areas with offices in Albany, NY, Syracuse, NY, and Buffalo, NY. Helping citizens have more impact and involvement in crucial environmental campaigns is one of their main objectives. By giving members the chance to engage in the political process, CCE continues to work to empower the public and push a compelling environmental agenda. A representative of the organization said “Long Island has a serious water problem on their hands. There needs to be more attention on this issue since many are unaware.”
“Right now, CCE is partnering with Yale Superfund Research Center on their study to test drinking water and blood sample to understand the exposure levels of 1,4-dioxane in Long Islander’s bodies to better understand it effects public health.”
“Ultimately, our goal is to educate the public. We want the public to become educated on this issue and warn others that it is a pressing matter.”
Presently, Nassau County has the most water systems exposed to cancer-causing chemicals, and Long Island has the most contaminated drinking water in New York State.
Over the years it has been a rising problem due to the increasing amount of chemicals that can be traced to the water supply. Unlike the beautiful Catskills water that New York City uses, Long Island’s drinking water comes from an underground aquifer.
While the aquifer filters out dirt and small solids, it doesn’t filter out cancer-causing chemicals, such as 1,4 dioxane and perfluorinated compounds. Over the years, there has been an alarmingly high amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a class of chemicals, that are the most prevalent groundwater contaminant on Long Island. They are typically regarded as hazardous compounds. One chemical contaminant found is PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), which are extremely dangerous compounds that are permanently present in waterproofing and nonstick goods.
PFAS are referred to as “forever chemicals” because they accumulate in our bodies over thousands of years and take a very long time to degrade.
Today, Long Island has over 250 contaminated groundwater sites. The contaminants found in the drinking water can be detrimental and deadly to our health. Ingesting too much of the chemical can cause cancers, immunity, fertility, and academic difficulties since it has all been linked to exposure.
According to a National Cancer Institute (NCI) study, an experiment on rats and mice exposed to 1,4-dioxane in their drinking water reported increased incidences of liver cancers. The liver and kidney are the primary organs affected by 1,4-dioxane, and severe damage to these organs may have contributed to mortality after exposure to high levels of the chemical.
This is a growing concern among the communities that live on Long Island. This is a threat to the public safety and health of Long Island residents and they should be made more aware of what they are intaking on a daily basis.
Long Island has had a water quality problem for decades. Unlike the beautiful Catskills water that New York City uses, Long Island’s drinking water comes from an underground aquifer. VOCs, a class of chemicals, are the most prevalent groundwater contaminant on Long Island (volatile organic compounds). They are typically regarded as hazardous compounds. It can cause many problems since the water on Long Island is more vulnerable to chemicals called PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. PFAS are extremely dangerous compounds that are permanently present in waterproofing, firefighting, and nonstick goods. They accumulate in our bodies over thousands of years and take a very long time to degrade. Ingesting too much of the chemical can cause cancers, immunity, fertility, and academic difficulties since it has all been linked to exposure. Any solutions would be difficult to execute since Long Islanders use their water above ground, so any land activity has the potential to contaminate the groundwater below.
In researching this topic, I plan to utilize local news sites, published city documents regarding this topic. I planned to join social media groups and talk to organizations and activists such as the North Shore Land Alliance and Long Island Clean Water Partnership to get more information on their impact on the community. I also planned to interview local residents to see if they are aware of this ongoing issue and what are their reactions.
This was my first time ever visiting Randall’s Island Park. It is an amazing place to visit and enjoy the scenery. It is only a short drive and bus ride away. This is an great destination to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. My overall impression of the environment is that there is a lot of sustainability happening within the island. From the huge growing urban farms to the coastline restoration project to the salt marshes.
It was very interesting to learn the different ways that people are making changes to adapt to more environmental friendly methods. A salt marsh is a type of wetland found next to salty water bodies. The salt marshes found on Randall’s Island have tide flow into and out from the Harlem River, which feeds into the New York Harbor. There are two low tides and two high tides, where it floods the marshes. daily. With extremely high rates of photosynthesis, salt marshes are one of the most productive natural systems on the planet. The salt marshes are one way the park is using its resources to help facilitate dynamic habitat with distinct zones. There are different zones in the salt marsh due to the elevation in relation to the tides. Incorporating different plants used to build salt marshes based on their tolerances to salt water. This creates a unique ecosystem with specialized plants and animals that can survive in salt water. Some plants found in the salt marshes are cordgrass and salt meadow hay. These plants help stabilize the soil and reduce runoff. I have reached out to Randall’s Island Park Alliance Office through email and have yet to receive a response.
