The trip down the Hudson River took us through various waterbodies located surrounding Manhattan. One of the main issues that were discussed during the trip was the subject of the potential health risks that factories produce. Oil and other toxic chemicals escape into the waterways from New York factories that operate near open water sources. This reminded me of our class discussions regarding the Gowanus Canal and the Harlem Meer and how fecal/e.coli matter were found in these open areas. Another interesting fact I learned was how cars that travel across the various bridges that connect Manhattan to its surrounding areas also produce a level of pollution that end up in the water. With the massive amount of CO2 that’s produced by car emissions, it doesn’t take long for it to travel downwards into the water creating an increasing amount of carbon within the water that surrounds New York City. In extension to my research on air pollution in Chinatown, it’s totally feasible that car pollution is an ongoing problem that affects both land and water. When I was learning about the increasing cases of asthmatic cases that occur primarily in the Chinatown area, a lot of the information correlated with the exposure of car emissions that have accumulated in the dense area.
