The Real Problem...
Overarchingly, the reason the Hudson River is so contaminated is obvious: pollution. But what kind, specifically? Well, that’s also a simple answer: plastic. Around the world, up to 12.7 million tons of plastic enter the oceans each year, which causes destruction to environments and is devastating to fish and other marine species. Plastic is not biodegradable, meaning that it does not break down easily like paper and cardboard do, and it can take up to 1,000 years to completely decompose. Instead of breaking down, it breaks up. In many cases, plastics will shatter into millions of microplastics, which are then scattered throughout the body of water in question. You’ve probably heard about what can happen once plastic reaches oceans: fish and other animals can eat it thinking it’s food and get poisoned or very sick, and they can even starve to death because it makes them think they’re full when they’re not. This causes the death of thousands of marine creatures, and if you don’t think you’re affected by this, you’d be wrong. Remember that fish that ate those microplastics? Well, what if that fish is caught and eaten by humans? Yep, you guessed it- humans just ate those microplastics, and it can have the exact same effect on them.
And that’s only one example- plastic doesn’t only affect the food chain. Once plastics are dumped into the ocean, many make their way to a garbage patch. You’ve probably heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch- that’s the largest and most famous of them all- but there are many other similar spots like it throughout the oceans. The reason they happen is because of the currents. When garbage is thrown in an ocean, currents are its main means of transportation. In many places, the currents eventually lead to and trap the garbage in one place. The trash builds up in this one area, becoming a garbage patch. In the Great Pacific Garbage Patch alone, there are around 80,000 TONS of plastic sitting there. An estimated 100,000 marine mammals are affected by this plastic. Why is this garbage so harmful, you ask? Well, it can actually produce toxic chemicals that can poison animals. As it sits in landfills, rain and ocean water flows over it, and it absorbs some of the water-soluble compounds found in plastic. However, some of these compounds are toxic and can be extremely dangerous. Combined, they can create leachate, which is an extremely poisonous and harmful liquid, which can then move into groundwater, the earth, and streams. This is very dangerous for wildlife and can have a huge negative impact on our ecosystems.
You may be wondering how this has anything to do with the Hudson River, but it actually has everything to do with it. All rivers are connected to the ocean in one way or another. For instance, let’s look at the Hudson River. It is huge and flows through New York and small parts of Connecticut and other states. It is 315 miles long and connects to the Atlantic Ocean close to the bottom of New York. Because it is connected to the ocean, a lot of that trash and pollution that is thrown in the river actually ends up there. That’s not to say that the Hudson River isn’t polluted because it all goes to the ocean- that certainly isn’t the case- but a lot of it does. And, throughout New York, there hundreds of tiny streams and waterways that lead to the Hudson River as well, which of course in turn leads to the ocean, and we already know what can happen to the plastic there. Since the Hudson is one of the most plastic-polluted rivers in the U.S., helping stop these huge amounts of plastic that gets dumped in it could help reduce the problem in many ways.
Most of the Hudson’s plastic pollution comes from the cities around it. Since New York is a major part of the U.S., there are lots of people and industrial buildings there. Because of this massive population of people, the amount of plastic that is used throughout the state is huge. Think about how much plastic you use in your everyday life- now multiply that amount by 19.4 million and you’ll have an idea of how much plastic is used in New York by the community. Now add in how much is used in businesses, infrastructure, goods, and other factors, and that’s A LOT of plastic. Because there is so much, it makes sense that so much of it would be in the Hudson River, because when people throw things away it would probably just be dumped into the closest body of water- which, if it isn’t the Hudson, would eventually make its way there. So that explains all the pollution it has.
So what can you and I do to help prevent this plastic from taking over the oceans?
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Our way of trying to prevent this issue from getting any worse is by creating this website. We want to use this website as a platform of awareness on the issues of plastic pollution that the Hudson River faces. By raising awareness, we are taking a midstream approach to attack the plastic pollution problem. We feel that by using this approach, we can directly get this information to people like you, and prevent that from littering and having their plastic waste end up in the river. In addition, we can help give people resources to donation sites and volunteering opportunities to help clean out the river. We believe that by using the midstream approach and spreading this awareness, we are directly attacking the problem by preventing it from getting worse, along with educating others on the issue and inviting them to make a change as well.